


Baby Serise

by LunaLovePotter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 14:32:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 65,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18236177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaLovePotter/pseuds/LunaLovePotter
Summary: Harry and Ginny have been trying for over a year to have a baby, only to watch their loved ones succeed where they have failed. They are beginning to despair of ever having a family of their own. Meanwhile, the pressure is putting a strain on their marriage.





	1. Baby, It’s You

**Author's Note:**

> Infertility is a devastating dilemma that many couples face. And I do not mean to take it lightly in this fic. But please take into account that it is fanfiction. No offense is intended.

"Guess what, everyone – Hermione's pregnant!" 

Babies, babies, babies. They were everywhere – or so it seemed to Ginny Weasley Potter as she, along with the rest of her family, congratulated her brother and sister-in-law on their impending arrival. This was the third pregnancy announcement in the past eight months – the first being Bill and Fleur, who were expecting their third child at any moment; and the second was Fred and Angelina, who had just recently learned they were expecting twins in three months. They already had an 18 month-old son.

Hermione looked radiant as she accepted hugs and kisses from the family. Her eyes were sparkling with tears, and her cheeks flushed a healthy pink. The pregnancy had been completely unexpected, they hadn't been planning to have a baby for at least a couple of years; but of course they were overjoyed. Ron was beside himself, strutting around the Burrow like a peacock. He wanted to wait on Hermione hand and foot, but of course she was having none of it. 

"I may be pregnant, Ron, but I'm not breakable," she said. Ginny had to smile at that; it was so Hermione, almost to a fault. 

Mum had already smothered Ron with kisses, and was now fussing over Hermione. Ginny was happy for them – how could she not be, it was her big brother and her best friend? But with their announcement came the sting of disappointment; only a few hours ago, she and Harry had received the news that she wasn't pregnant – again.

It was no secret how much Harry wanted a family, but still they decided to wait three years after getting married before trying to get pregnant – Harry had a successful career at the Ministry, where he headed the Auror Division, and Ginny was well immersed in Advanced Healer training. They were content just to be married, and be together. In fact, they were careful not to get pregnant. She hoped that hadn't been a crucial mistake.

Without having to look, Ginny was aware of Harry's eyes on her. He watched over her because he cared, and because he hated to see her disappointed. She loved him so much it made her ache, but she wished that he wouldn't stare at her like that, because it only made her feel worse. There had been a time when she'd basked in the glow of his attention, loving the way it felt to have his eyes skimming over her body; but now she just wanted it to stop. 

She'd gotten used to disappointment over the past year, but despite that, there was still always that flicker of hope waiting for the test results; hope that she would finally, finally be pregnant, and her problems would be over. Hope that was inevitably dashed. As a girl, Ginny hadn't known the meaning of the word 'quit'. When she fell, she simply picked herself back up and tried again until she succeeded – sort of like the way she'd been while learning Quidditch. But she hadn't given up, no matter how much teasing she got from her brothers, or how much grief she got for being the only girl in a family of boys. The fantastic day when she'd swept in and grabbed the Golden Snitch away from Cho Chang made all of that insecurity disappear. But now the failure was getting harder to endure, and she wasn't sure how many more times she could go through it. 

Now that Snitch was hovering right in front of her, only it was just out of reach. All they wanted was a baby of their own with Harry's eyes and her hair – or the other way around, she certainly wasn't particular. While she adored her nieces and nephews, she was tired of being "Aunt Ginny". She wanted to be "Mummy". 

"Would you excuse me for a minute, I'm going to get some more juice," she said, doubting that anyone noticed.Then she slipped into the kitchen, where she set her empty juice glass on the counter and went out the back door. 

Harry followed her, as she'd expected he would. He approached as she stood looking out at the vast backyard where she'd played as a child, and where she'd always taken for granted that her own children would play someday. 

"D'you want to leave?" he asked, stroking her arm. "We can always go home, just do something together on our own." 

"No, of course not. I want to be here for Ron and Hermione," Ginny replied, perhaps a bit too sharply. She sighed. "Why is this so hard, Harry?"

"I don't know, Gin. But we'll keep trying." 

"For how long?" She turned on him. "It's been a ruddy year. How long are we supposed to keep trying?" 

"As long as it takes." 

"What if it doesn't happen?" 

"It will." Harry said this with a calm certainty that Ginny only wished she could share with him. His eyes glazed over, and his jaw set firmly. 

"Maybe we should see a specialist or something." 

"We don't need a specialist. We'll be fine." Harry put his arm around her shoulders. He brushed a lock of hair off her cheek and gave her a kiss. "Don't worry. Now come on, let's go back inside. Your mum's got cake." 

"Mum's always got cake," Ginny said quietly. But she smiled and took Harry's offered hand, and they went back inside. 

 

* * * * * * 

Even though she didn't much feel like it, she let Harry make love to her that night. She did it because of the need in his eyes; the need to make everything right, to make her feel whole. Harry was a considerate lover, passionate when he wanted to be – or when she wanted him to be – but always tender with her at the same time. Her hips rose to meet his and she opened her legs for him, then felt that twinge of anticipation when he entered her, and the warmth when he finally released himself inside her. Or rather she didn't feel it; she expected it, and let it wash over her as her eyes filled with tears. 

Normally it was wonderful, but now it was tainted. Usually when they had sex it was an event; magnificent, thrilling, and more satisfying than anything else in her life. The feel of Harry's hands cupping her buttocks, his tongue flicking her nipples, or his fingers massaging her clit would send her into a heated frenzy. But now she just wanted to get it over with. It had lost all meaning for her.

These days Ginny likened their lovemaking to taking a final exam, and all the pressure and anxiety that came with it. With every thrust of Harry's cock she hoped that that would be the one that would give them their baby, that would be the time they would finally pass the test. Sometimes it felt as though she wanted this baby more than she'd even wanted Harry himself, and she hated herself for that. But she also wanted to see the look in Harry's gorgeous green eyes when she finally broke the news that she was carrying their child. She wanted to experience that first time having sex after getting pregnant, free in the knowlege that all of their hard work had been rewarded. But mostly she just wanted to be able to love him again the way he deserved to be loved; free of worry and frustration.

Harry fell asleep next to her, but Ginny lay awake for the rest of the night stroking her stomach and praying. "Gods, just please give us a baby. Please. Give Harry a baby," she whispered. She wasn't usually the praying type; but at this point she was willing to try anything. 

* * * * 

"It's funny, I never thought I'd be a mother at such a young age," Hermione was saying, as she and Ginny shared their lunch hour together later that week as they always did. "I'd always planned on waiting a few years after I got married to establish my career and get my life settled down so I'd be ready to welcome a baby. But now…now, I can't imagine anything else. It's so exciting!" 

"Yes, well sometimes these things just happen," Ginny said with a vague smile. "But it's wonderful though, Hermione. I'm so happy for you and Ron." 

"Thanks," Hermione said, not noticing her friend's demeanor. "So, have you and Harry thought about when you're going to start a family, or are you too busy enjoying yourselves?" 

Even though Hermione clearly meant this in a good-natured way, Ginny bristled at the words. "Enjoying ourselves? Hardly," she muttered, averting her eyes. Then she said loudly, "We're fine." 

"What's the matter?" 

"Nothing. " 

"Obviously that's not true--" 

"Hermione, just leave it, would you?" 

"Ginny, what on earth--?"

"Oh for Pete's sake - Harry and I have been trying, okay? We've been trying for a bloody year, and we can't get pregnant!" Her eyes welled with tears; the other restaurant patrons looked at her, but she was beyond caring. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand impatiently, then reached for a napkin to dab the rest of her tears away.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know," Hermione said softly, and took Ginny's hand from across the table. "Why haven't you said anything before?"

"Because we didn't think it would be this hard. We didn't want to make a big deal of it, and we certainly didn't want the added pressure from mum to produce another grandchild. It's only a matter of time before the questions start, we were hoping to beat her to the punch." Ginny swallowed. 

"What about seeing a specialist?" 

"I suggested that, but Harry won't do it. He insists that it'll work out, that we're fine. But we're not fine, Hermione. We've never been less fine in our entire relationship." 

"Harry's just being stubborn. Besides, I think I might have an idea about why he's being so resistant."

Ginny raised her eyes hopefully. "What?"

"Think about it, Ginny. He's always been the 'hero', he feels like he has to take responsibility for everything. If he can't get you pregnant, he might think…" 

"It's his fault," Ginny finished her sentence. 

"Exactly."

She didn't know why she hadn't thought of this before; the idea that Harry could be blaming himself for their troubles. She wondered how was it that they had gotten so far out of synch that she would need Hermione to help her understand her own husband. 

* * * *  
But when she tried to talk to Harry about it as they readied for bed that night, he rounded on her defensively.

"What did you tell Hermione for? I thought we'd agreed to keep it between us." He'd just taken off his t-shirt, which he flung onto the bed. 

"Yes, I know. But she's our best friend. She won't go around telling everyone. It's not like I told my mum. Besides, I needed someone to talk to." Ginny slipped out of her jeans and blouse, and reached for her nightgown.

"You mean, someone other than me? I'm right here, Gin. Talk to me." Harry pointed toward his chest. 

"When I try to talk to you, you just tell me we'll be fine and not to worry. Well we're not fine, and I am worried, okay? I'm tired of waiting, and watching all our friends and family get pregnant. Bloody hell, Harry, I just want us to have a baby already!" Forgetting about her nightgown, she stood there in only her bra and panties, fists clenched and her face flushed.

"What, so you think I don't want a baby? What do you think I've been trying to do for the past year?"

"For god's sake, this process isn't all about you, so stop putting it on yourself! You can't always be the hero, we have to do this together! I want us to see someone who can help us have a baby." 

"Ginny, I'm not going to see a specialist when there's--"

"Did you ever stop to consider that maybe it's me, Harry? That maybe I'm the reason we're not getting pregnant? Weasley women are supposed to breed like rabbits, but maybe I'm the exception! Either way we have to figure out once and for all what the hell is going on, and if it's even worth trying any more. I just need answers. We both do. It's tearing us apart, and I can't stand it. I can't lose you over this."

"Oh my god, you could never—I would never…" Harry looked pained, as if she had just torn a hole in his chest. "How could you even think that?"

Feeling lightheaded and weak, Ginny sank onto the edge of the bed. She wanted to cry, but just couldn't bring herself to do it. Harry came to her and pulled her into his arms where they simply held each other for a long time; he stroked her hair and kissed her neck while she ran her fingers up and down his back. 

"This is what matters. Us. You and me." 

"I know," she murmured into his shoulder, then kissed it. 

"Having a baby with you would be wonderful, Gin. Amazing. Because I know you'll make a fantastic mum. But even if we can't…it's not worth sacrificing what we have. Nothing is worth that."

"I love you, Harry." 

"I love you too," he smiled. "So if you want to see a specialist, we will. We'll go day by day, and no matter what happens we'll get through it together. If you decide you don't want to try any more, I'll support you--" 

He never finished the sentence because Ginny had taken his face in her hands and pulled him against her. Their lips came together fiercely, and his tongue slipped into her mouth. His hands were on her hips, but she guided them up to her back, to the clasp on her bra. 

"Are you sure?" he breathed, even as his cock pressed urgently against her thigh and his fingers worked the clasp. She answered him by unfastening the button on his trousers and unzipping the zipper. Then she wiggled out of her panties and kicked them away.

"I just want to shag the way we used to, before all this," she said. "That's all. I don't care what happens, because as you said this is all that matters. You," -- she backed toward the bed, and brought him down on top of her – "and me." 

Before she could say another word, Harry had plunged into her, thrusting so hard with his swollen cock that he nearly pushed her head into the wall. But she barely noticed; instead, she arched her hips, dug her nails into his back and closed her eyes.


	2. Baby Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ginny have been trying for over a year to have a baby. Now it seems that their months of waiting have been rewarded.

"So, what color do you think – lavender, or yellow?" Hermione held up two tiny baby sleepers. "They come with matching blankets."

Ginny drifted past a display of bed linens in patterns of teddy bears, ducks, and fairies and let her finger trace along the top of the soft fabrics. They had been browsing through Emily Butterfield's Baby Emporium for the last hour looking for gifts for Fred & Angelina's twins, which were due at any moment. Ginny had already bought and paid for her gift, and was now waiting for Hermione to decide. Her stomach rumbled impatiently, and she quieted it by patting it with her hand. 

"What about pink, since they're girls," she suggested offhandedly. 

"No, I'm sure they've got more than enough pink. Besides, that's such an ancient stereotype, getting girls pink clothes. So which should it be, lavender or yellow?"

"If I make the decision, can we go eat, then? I'm bloody starving." 

"Yes."

"Yellow," Ginny said. Her eyes drifted lazily over the selection of crib blankets and and baby-sized bath towels. Her heart gave a small flutter. 

"Are you sure?" Hermione brought down the sleepers for closer inspection. "I don't know…"

"Fine, then get both colors. There's two babies." 

"What's with you today?" 

"What?" Ginny replied, and the heat rose in her cheeks. She quickly diverted her attention to the nearby shelf of stuffed hippogriffs, phoenixes and classic teddy bears. She didn't know how much longer she could keep this up; it was still six hours before Harry would be home from supervising the four-day Auror training mission, and she had sworn to herself that she would not to tell a soul before him. He had to be the first to know. It just wouldn't be right otherwise.

"You've been distracted." 

"I get that way when I'm hungry," Ginny quipped. "Now, can we buy the things and go already?"

"Fine, then. I'll get them the yellow." Hermione gave her a frustrated look, then went on to the store clerk to make the purchase.

 

Ginny felt giddy, despite that hadn't slept since the moment she first found out, now fourteen hours ago. At first she hadn't believed the results – after all, those tests weren't 100% accurate, and she was tired so she could have made a mistake. So she'd taken it two more times. Only when she'd seen the unmistakable positive indicator all three times did she allow herself to crack a smile; that smile eventually turned into a full on grin. Then she'd set the three test sticks end to end along the sink and simply stared at them. She hadn't known quite what to do next – although the idea of having them mounted and framed had occurred to her. 

Three months ago, things hadn't seemed quite so optimistic. 

* * * * 

After having subjected themselves to a week's worth of physical exams and medical tests, Harry and Ginny found themselves in the office of Healer Bartholomew, a well respected and highly recommended fertility specialist. Helena Bartholomew was a brown-haired, middle-aged witch, perennially good-natured and with a warm smile that had put them at ease almost immediately. 

"Well," the Healer said, clasping her hands on her desk and leaning forward earnestly, "the tests can find no abnormalities or causes for concern." 

Ginny didn't know how she was supposed to respond to this, but clearly from the look on the Healer's face she was expecting them to be pleased. Ginny glanced at Harry, who squeezed her hand encouragingly, even though he looked equally confused. 

"Nothing's wrong?" Ginny said, wondering why she was disappointed at what should have been good news.

"Not physically, no. Nothing that would prevent you from conceiving a child. It goes without saying that you both are in perfect physical health. Your estrogen levels are very high, Mrs. Potter, and your eggs are healthy. Mr. Potter has a sperm count well above average." 

"'Not physically'? What does that mean?" 

"Stress is a very common factor in a couple's ability to conceive," the Healer went on. "When conception doesn't happen right away, there is a tendency for the couple to become highly anxious and put unneeded pressure on themselves. The best thing to do in this situation is just to relax, and let things happen naturally." 

"That's it?" Harry said. "So your solution would be just to--" 

"Relax, yes. I know that might seem difficult, given the situation. But the best advice I can give you is don't focus so much on conceiving. Just go about your daily lives, engage in your usual sexual activities. I'm not saying it will happen right away, but it will happen if you let it." The Healer smiled. "Of course, continue to take the vitamins, Mrs. Potter, and maintain a healthy diet as well."

"Sure, of course," Ginny said absently. But as they left the office, she felt the frustration building up inside her. After all that, how could it possibly be so simple?

"How can we be expected to relax about this?" she said defensively, once they had Apparated back to their flat. She kicked off her shoes and with an aggravated pull released her hair from its ponytail and threw the scrunchy across the room. "I mean, forget about trying to conceive? What kind of advice is that, anyway?" 

 

Harry took her hands. "I know, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense," he admitted.   
"So how long are we supposed to wait now?" 

"We don't have to wait. We just…don't think about it as much." 

"Don't think about it as much. Okay, well that shouldn't be too hard," Ginny snapped, the heat rising in her face. Tears stung her eyes. 

"It'll be all right, Gin." Harry leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss, then wiped the tears off her cheeks with his fingertips.

"How do we know it'll be all right, Harry?"

"Because, if anyone was ever meant to be a mum, it's you." Harry smiled softly. "We'll get our baby." 

"You really believe that?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation, then took her in his arms. 

* * * * 

But Healer Bartholomew had been right – all they needed to do was relax. It had taken three months, but it worked.

At first, Ginny hadn't been able to decide if she wanted to laugh, cry, jump up and down, scream from the rooftops, or all of those things at once. But for the longest time, she'd done nothing but stare at the sink. It was only when she'd imagined Harry's expression when she told him, that she'd cried. More than anything she'd wished that he could have been there with her when she found out; it didn't seem quite real without him. She wouldn't quite believe it was real until she could see the smile on Harry's face, and feel his arms around her. 

They were having a baby.

She'd been tempted to Apparate to Falmouth, where he was conducting Auror training, to surprise him with the news. But then she hadn't known if Apparating would be safe, so she'd started to prepare to send an owl. Then she'd reconsidered (much to the displeasure of Hedwig, who didn't take kindly to being woken up so late at night); this news was too big, and far too important for Harry to find out from an owl, even if it was his beloved Hedwig. It had to be done right, with the two of them alone, and no interruptions. But the news was eating her alive. She'd almost been tempted to stay home, rather than go out with Hermione, simply to keep herself from telling anyone, but then she'd figured it would be better to be out and about than to be pacing around the flat all day going stir crazy waiting for Harry. 

Five hours and fifty minutes. Gods, she just wanted to tell someone, to share her joy with the whole world. If only there were a way to reveal her secret, just to relieve some of the pressure – she felt like a balloon filled to capacity, on the verge of popping. Any second, the words would come spilling out: "I'm pregnant, Harry and I are having a baby!" 

"So, where do you want to go for lunch?" Hermione asked brightly, as they stepped outside into the cool autumn afternoon. 

Ginny looked at her best friend, and hesitated. While she really was hungry, and her stomach rumbled in solidarity, instead she found herself saying, "Actually, I'm just going to go home. I didn't get much sleep last night, I should take a nap so I'll be awake for Harry." 

"Ginny, are you sure you're okay? Five minutes ago you nearly bit my head off because you were so hungry and now you just want to go home." Hermione eyed her warily. 

"I'm fine, honestly. Like I said, I’m just tired. Would you mind dropping off the gift for me?" 

"Well, all right," Hermione said although she looked unconvinced. She took Ginny's bag. "I'll just grab something to eat by myself, and head over to Fred & Angelina's. But Ron and I will see you and Harry tomorrow at the Burrow for dinner, right?" 

"Right, sure. See you tomorrow," Ginny smiled, and gave Hermione a quick peck on the cheek. Then she turned and headed down the street, with Hermione's skeptical gaze on the back of her neck the entire way. 

As soon as she was inside the front door, Ginny slipped off her shoes, left her purse and wand on the sofa and scurried across the floor in her stockinged feet to the corner by the window, where Hedwig was dozing in her cage. All the way home she had been afraid to breathe for fear if she opened her mouth she would tell the first witch or wizard she saw on the street. But now, in the safety of her flat, she looked the sleepy snowy owl in the eye and said with a bright smile: 

"Hedwig, guess what? We're pregnant! We're having a baby! Isn't it fantastic?" She felt a little silly telling Hedwig, but at the same time it felt like she was telling a good friend. She figured it'd be the next best thing to telling Harry himself.

Not one second later Ginny heard something fall on the floor with a clatter, and then Harry's voice. 

"We’re pregnant?" 

He stood frozen in the doorway that divided the sitting room from their bedroom. His hair was damp and rumpled, and he wore nothing but a burgundy towel around his waist. The item that had fallen on the floor was his comb. 

"What are you doing home?" Ginny asked, although she didn't know why those were the first words out of her mouth. She couldn't explain much of anything at that moment. 

"We finished up early. I figured I'd come…come home and surprise you…oh Gin. Really?"

Her eyes filled with tears. Unable to speak, she simply nodded and smiled. 

"Really?" he repeated hopefully. 

Again, she nodded, then placed her hands on her stomach. Harry became a blur as the tears overflowed down her face. But then he was right there, picking her up off the floor and kissing her; a long, slow kiss that sent cascading warmth down Ginny's spine. His tongue slipped into her mouth, and his hands went beneath her shirt where they came to rest blissfully on her stomach. 

"There's our baby," he murmured, and she felt him smile. She also felt something else, pressed against her thigh. In his haste to reach her, Harry had lost the towel around his waist; his body was now flush against hers, with damp skin and a very hard and eager cock. Her nipples immediately came to attention, as she let her hands fall to take it in her hands. 

"Are you sure?" Harry whispered, as his lips fell to her neck. "Maybe we should wait…"

"Not on your life, Potter." She gave his cock a good squeeze, and he groaned sharply. "We've waited too long for this." 

"But the baby--" 

"It's fine." 

"Really?"

"Really." She released his cock, then took his hand and led him into the bedroom. He followed willingly, with his full on erection; he couldn't take his eyes off her, and wore a soft, satisfied smile on his face. "Besides, in a few months it won't be so easy for us to do this because I'll be big and fat." 

"I can't bloody wait to see you big and fat," Harry breathed. He watched her as she took off her jeans and panties, while anxiously stroking his cock. She was so wet between her legs that she practically glistened, and she could see from the eagerness in Harry's eyes that he'd noticed, which in turn only served to make her even more wet. All she needed now was for him to be inside her; to fill her up, and make her whole. 

"We're having a baby, Harry," she whispered, as he moved close to her, the tip of his cock teasing her wet clit. A gutteral moan escaped her throat, and she felt a thrilling warmth rush over her as he started to enter her. 

"You bet we are," he said, then he took her face in his hands and kissed her while he pushed his cock between her legs. They fell back on the bed in a tangle of limbs. Harry was being careful with her; stroking her, taking his time and not thrusting too hard. She loved him for it, but it was driving her insane. 

"I won't break," she said, nipping his earlobe. 

"I know, it's just…" he straightened, still comfortably inside her, and looked down at her with a soft smile on his face, all the while still riding her with a gentle motion. "I can't believe you've got our baby in there." 

He began massaging her stomach with his palms in small circular motions, then bent and kissed her navel; his hair tickled her breasts and she raised her hips. "I know, it's amazing," she sighed, and cupped his buttocks to force him deeper inside. "You're not going to want to stop doing this now because we're pregnant, are you? Because if you are I might have to rethink--"

"Bite your tongue," Harry cut her off with a wicked grin, then he gave one more hard thrust and let out a low, satisfied moan as he released himself inside her.


	3. Baby, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny receives some unexpected news about her pregnancy. Contains a good helping of fluff.

"Oh, bloody hell." 

Ginny Weasley Potter stood half-dressed in front of the full length mirror on the back of her closet door, trying in vain to close the zipper on her favorite pair of jeans. But to no avail; the zipper simply would not budge, so she wiggled her way out of the jeans and tossed them onto the pile by the door. For at least the next five months, they would be unwearable. 

Of course this wasn't an entirely unwelcome discovery – it meant that Little Girl Potter was making her presence known. It hadn't been verified yet, but Ginny just had a feeling that her firstborn would be a girl. She felt she'd earned that, having grown up in a family of boys. She and Harry had been debating whether or not to find out the baby's sex; Harry wanted to be surprised, but Ginny wanted to know so she could start planning ahead. She had already put several items on hold at the Baby Emporium – all of them meant for a girl. Not that she would be unhappy with a boy, either; not by a long shot. 

Ginny lifted the hem of her shirt and folded it over just enough so she could get a full view of her belly. At four and a half months along, she had a noticeable bump; she ran her hands along its curve and felt chills of pleasure rush through her. She still couldn't quite believe she was pregnant, even though the Healer had confirmed it some time ago.

"Wow, look at you." 

From her reflection in the mirror she saw Harry lingering behind her in the bedroom doorway, still wearing his pinstriped pajama bottoms and faded Chudley Cannons t-shirt. He gazed at her with an awed expression, and a proud smile slowly crept across his face. 

"I don't fit in my favorite jeans any more," Ginny announced, and grinned. Tears beaded in her eyes. 

"You're absolutely gorgeous," Harry said as he approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her, clasping his hands over hers on the crest of her swollen stomach. Ginny rested her head beneath his chin, and simply gazed at their reflection. As happy as she was in general, there were very few moments when she felt absolute, unadulterated joy – the kind of joy that made her feel like she could float away. But this was one of those moments. 

"She's really growing in there."

"So, it's a girl?" Harry winked at her in the mirror. 

"Call it mother's intuition. But I can find out for sure at my appointment this afternoon." She turned hopeful eyes up toward him, and batted her lashes for effect. 

"I don't know, I'd much rather be surprised." 

"Will you be disappointed if it's a girl?"

"Of course not," Harry replied, and she turned around to nestle into his arms. "I would never be disappointed in anything we made together." 

"So you're sure you can't come with me?"

"I wish I could, but there's still a lot of paperwork left from the last Auror field mission. In fact, I'm already late, I should get in the shower."

"But it's Saturday, certainly they can do without you for a couple of hours." 

"I'm sorry, love. I'll try to get it done as fast as I can." Harry leafed his fingers through her hair; his touch sent tingles of warmth cascading through her body. "If you want company, why don't you ask Hermione?"

"Maybe I will. She did mention she'd like to go shopping for maternity clothes." Ginny closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of Harry's skin. "Thank you," she breathed.

"For what?"

"For making me so happy," she said simply.

"Oh, it's my pleasure." 

"So would you mind if I put on a pair of your trousers, then, since mine don't fit?"

"Mind? I think it'd be dead sexy, actually."

"Maybe later, you can take them off me, too," she purred.

"Mmm, now that's dead sexy," Harry grinned, then he kissed her.

 

* * * 

Ginny met Hermione at the pastry shop just around the corner from the Healer's office, at twelve forty-five. The appointment wasn't until one-thirty, but at Hermione's suggestion, they'd decided to stop and have tea beforehand. It looked as though Hermione had been there for some time; she was halfway through a sizable piece of apple strudel, and was pouring herself a fresh cup of tea when Ginny sat down. 

'I'm sorry, I couldn't wait," Hermione said apologetically. "I've had this incredible craving for apples, lately. I just can't seem to get enough of them."

"Don't worry about it, I'm the same way about strawberries at the moment." Ginny smiled, and signaled for a waitress. When the woman drifted over, she ordered a fresh pot of tea and a strawberry tart.

"How are you feeling so far?" 

"Well, for one, I couldn't put on my jeans this morning, so I had to borrow a pair of Harry's trousers," Ginny beamed. "It's silly, I know, but still…"

"No, that's fantastic Ginny, really. Besides, I thought those trousers looked familiar." Hermione smiled. "Now, are you excited about today?" 

 

"Excited about what?"

"Well, you're finding out, about the baby." 

"Actually we're going to wait. Harry wants to be surprised." 

"That's what I wanted at first, too. Ron was insistent but I was sure I didn't want to know. Then once we got to the Healer's office, I folded like a deck of cards." Hermione smiled. "I had a feeling this would be a girl, but now I can't wait to meet our little boy."

"I have a feeling it's a girl," Ginny admitted, patting her stomach.

"So why don't you just find out then? It'll be fun." 

"I don't like keeping secrets from Harry, and he really doesn't want to know." 

"Forget Harry. You're the one carrying the baby, right? Do you want to know?" 

"Well, yes. Although Harry and I promised we'd share everything so we really should find out together. If he wants to wait, then I will too. Besides, it might be fun to be surprised." 

"Well, that's very sweet Ginny, but just wait until you get there. We'll see how you feel then." 

* * * 

Helena Bartholomew greeted Ginny with a warm smile as she walked into the office at one-thirty. "So, how have you been feeling? Have you been experiencing any discomfort?"

"I'm fine," Ginny replied, stroking her belly. "I haven't had any problems at all." She was so keyed up, she almost wanted to alert the Healer to the fact that she didn't fit in her regular clothes any more, and that she was wearing her husband's corduroys with the cuffs rolled up; but she figured that Helena might not find this quite as newsworthy as she did, so she kept it to herself. 

"That's good to hear."

"Oh, by the way, this is my friend, Hermione Granger-Weasley. My husband can't be here today so I thought she might sit in on the exam, if that's all right." 

The Healer smiled at Hermione, who had been waiting patiently in the doorway. "Of course, please come in. When are you due?" she asked.

"Eight weeks. It's a boy," Hermione announced proudly, as she curled her arms around her belly. Ginny almost expected her to reveal the baby's name as well, but she didn't. Ever since she and Ron had decided on the name, Liam Andrew, Hermione had been telling just about everyone who would listen; some people, more than once.

"Well, congratulations Mrs. Weasley. Please, have a seat and take the weight off your feet." 

Ginny half-expected her friend to refuse the gesture; always the self-sufficient one, Hermione still rarely accepted special help, even in her advanced condition. But this time, Hermione accepted the waiting chair that Helena had "Accio'd" to the head of the examining table. 

"Thank you," she said. "And I'm sorry, but I prefer Granger-Weasley."

Ginny smirked.

"Of course, my apologies," the Healer said graciously. "All right then, Ginny, why don't you step inside the changing room and put on a gown, then we'll get started?" 

"Sure, okay," Ginny agreed.

As she changed, Ginny could hear the low murmur of voices as Helena engaged Hermione in conversation. It didn't take long before Hermione had taken control of it, however; Ginny smiled as she imagined her friend filling the Healer in on every last detail of her and Ron's plans – well, mostly hers - for little Liam. Hermione always seemed to have everything completely under control – even before the baby was born, everything from his child care to his extended education was already planned out. The nursery was complete; dressers were stocked, the flat was baby-proofed, toys were bought, and the hospital room was reserved. Now, all they needed was the baby, and knowing Hermione, even that would be right on time.

Ginny only hoped she could be half as prepared. 

* * * 

Helena delicately waved her wand in a circular motion about six inches above Ginny's stomach while murmuring an incantation. Small, colorful sparks of green, yellow, pink, and blue emanated from the wand; this startled Ginny at first, but she was immediately calmed by the touch of her Healer's hand. 

"This is normal," Helena said. "It just tells us how the baby is developing. When the colors and patterns are read in a special way, they can also tell us the baby's gender. Have you decided if you'd like to know?" 

Ginny hesitated. But before she could answer, a curious expression crossed the Healer's face. "Mrs. Potter, I'd like to ask you something else first, about your family history." 

"Is something wrong?" Ginny started to sit up. 

"Please relax, it's nothing to worry about," the Healer gently guided her back down. 

Hermione gasped sharply. "Oh my goodness!" 

"What? What is it?" Ginny panicked, and started to sit up again.

Helena glanced at Hermione and smiled. "Well, judging by her expression I believe your friend knows the answer. Would you like to tell her, then?" she nodded at Hermione.

"Can I? If it's all right, of course," Hermione said eagerly.

"Hermione, tell me already!" Ginny said in exasperation. 

"Ginny, it's two babies. You and Harry are having twins!" 

It took a long moment for Ginny to completely process this piece of news. She couldn't quite get her mind around it, it didn't seem possible; but then again, it was completely logical, given that she had twin brothers. She'd been so focused on simply getting pregnant that it never occurred to her to think about having more than one. And now she was having two.. She didn't know whether to laugh, scream, or cry. The only thing she did know was that she had to see Harry; just to hold him, feel him, and smell him. She wanted him to envelop her and hold her close. Because as happy as she was, Ginny felt an inexplicable twinge of sadness, and fear. This was so much more than she'd ever expected; she wondered how on earth she would be able to manage it.

"Are you sure about this?" Ginny said, finally, looking to the Healer for confirmation even though she knew it wasn't necessary. 

"Yes," Helena said kindly. "From the looks of things, they are fraternal twins, which means they will not be identical no matter what the sex. Both are perfectly healthy and in the right stage of development for this point in your pregnancy. Now, would you like to know the gender?"

"Yes. But not yet." Ginny sat up. She glanced at Hermione, and then at the Healer. "Sorry, but I really think Harry should be here." 

"Of course," Helena smiled. 

"Absolutely," Hermione agreed, with tears in her eyes. She reached for Ginny's hand - not an easy feat with her seven-month stomach – and squeezed it reassuringly. 

 

* * * * 

Harry was at his desk when Ginny arrived, although he clearly wasn't working; even though he had papers scattered around him and was holding a Quik-Quotes Quill in one hand, and tapping it lazily against the desk, it was what he had in the other hand that was clearly occupying his attention. He was holding a small, square piece of paper about the size of a photograph between his thumb and forefinger; he was so preoccupied with it that he didn't look up until after his wife had knocked three times and cleared her throat.

His face broke into a smile when he saw her, and he set down the picture. ""Hey, this is a nice surprise. What brings you here?"

"I was wondering how much longer you might be. There's something important I'd like us to do together," Ginny said, and drifted over to his desk. With a quick glance she noticed that what he'd been looking at was a picture of a cottage that very much resembled the one his parents had lived in when he was a baby. She wondered what the picture was for, but decided she'd wait until later to ask him about it. 

"Well, I've still quite a bit of paperwork to go through. Why, is anything wrong?" Harry's brow furrowed, and he got to his feet anxiously.

"No, everything's fine." Ginny assured him. "So can you get away?"

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. When she leaned against him, his cheeks flushed, and he averted his eyes, smiling boyishly.

"What?" she asked, nudging him.

"Nothing, I just…I love the way that feels," he said, almost bashfully, smoothing his hands over her belly. 

Ginny smiled, then rather suddenly was overcome with emotion; tears began to fall from her eyes. She loved him so much at that moment, she couldn't even put it into words. The weight of it was almost overwhelming, and she wavered slightly on her feet.

"What's the matter, love?" Harry's arms tightened around her waist.

"I have something to tell you." 

"What is it?"

"We're not having a baby, Harry." 

"What?" Harry looked startled, and the color left his face. 

"We're having two babies." 

Harry's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened while his mouth parted in a wide grin. "Two? As in twins?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Like Fred and George?" 

"Yes, exactly like Fred & George," Ginny said, smiling through her tears. "Well, not exactly. They're not identical, and we don't know what sex they are yet, but we are having two, that's for sure. Anyhow, that's why I came. I'd like us to go back to the Healer so she can tell us together. I know you wanted to wait, but--"

She never finished the sentence, because her mouth was quickly covered by Harry's. "The hell with waiting," he said, with a grin. "Let's go."


	4. Baby Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ginny prepare for parenthood, and also make a big decision regarding their future.

Ginny gazed at Harry as he watched, mesmerized, the green, yellow, blue and pink sparks emanating from Helena Bartholomew's wand; she waved it gently over Ginny's bare abdomen, and gently spoke the incantation. At Ginny's request, Helena was performing the examination again, so Harry could experience it like she had.

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Well, the second most beautiful thing." Harry squeezed her hand and took his eyes away from the colorful sparks to look at her. His lower lip was trembling. 

"As I told Ginny earlier, both babies are very healthy and are developing normally," Helena spoke quietly, as if not to break the mood. "Now, in just a moment we should be able to tell just exactly what you'll be having…" 

"Can you believe it?" Ginny murmured, still looking into Harry's eyes. He simply smiled, and she could see why he didn't speak; tears were forming in the corners of his eyes.

"…well, it looks like you'll be having one of each." Helena smiled. "A boy, and a girl." 

"One of each.” Harry lifted Ginny's fingers, still curled around his, and brought them to his lips. "I can't wait to meet them." 

"Me too," Ginny said quietly. She imagined a girl with Harry's beautiful green eyes and her ginger hair, and a boy with her brown eyes and Harry's jet black hair. Then she broke his gaze to acknowledge the Healer, who was now lingering at a polite distance to give them some privacy. "Thank you for everything." 

"You're very welcome, Ginny. Congratulations to you both." 

* * * *

One unexpected benefit of pregnancy, Ginny found, was that sex was infinitely more pleasurable. That, and she wanted it more than ever. She likened her libido to what she imagined a man must feel like at every waking moment; she desired nothing more than to drag Harry into the bedroom and shag him for hours whenever they were alone together. Of course, Harry was more than happy to oblige her in this pursuit. 

"You are simply magnificent," Harry declared, as he slipped his hand up between her legs. He teased her clit maddeningly with his finger. Lately, he had developed an absolutely masterful way of taking her right to the brink with his fingers, then just when she thought she couldn't possibly take it any more he would fill her up with his swollen cock and take her the rest of the way until she almost literally exploded in a glorious release that left her both breathless and exhausted, yet exhilarated.

 

"Glad you think so," she breathed, focused almost completely on the sensation of his fingers stroking her. 

"I can't believe you've got two little people in there. It's given me a whole new respect for women." 

"Oh, has it now?" Ginny cocked an eyebrow. "So you didn't respect us before, then." 

"Funny." He applied more pressure, swirling and massaging her. She bucked and writhed against his fingers, emitting sharp yelps of pleasure. She was so close…

"Harry--" she groaned. 

"You know, I like the name Emily, for a girl." 

"Harry…" 

"Or Gwendolyn. That's a nice name." Harry smirked, clearly enjoying his advantage.

"Harry!”

But before she’d even finished saying his name, he’d removed his fingers and filled her aching need in one swift motion. “That better?” he said, thrusting quickly. 

“Oh gods yes…” she closed her eyes, digging her nails into the mattress, and let the warm satisfaction overtake her. When she finally came, she looked up at Harry through tousled hair. “Never, ever do that again, Potter.” 

Bracing himself with his arms, Harry draped his body over her and gave her a soft, lingering kiss. Then his lips traveled down her neck, between her breasts, and onto the crest of her stomach; he flicked his tongue into her navel, and she shivered with pleasure.

Then she felt something else, almost like popping corn inside her belly. It was there for an instant, then stopped. She froze, and held her breath. 

“Oh my god.” 

“What?” Harry looked up, and immediately moved next to her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just…they moved. One of them did. At least, I think that’s what it was…It could have been gas, but no—Harry, our babies moved.” She said this in a faint whisper, as if she were afraid the babies could hear her and would stop moving. 

“Oh Gin.” Harry’s mouth broke into a smile, and he put his hand on her belly. She put her hand on top of his, and held it there. For a long few minutes they waited, hopefully, but nothing happened. Ginny felt a pang of disappointment; she’d wanted so much for him to experience it like she had. She wanted to share everything with him, but as close as he could get to her, it wouldn’t be close enough.

Harry started to move away, but she held his hand firmly. “No, wait.” Tears filled her eyes. “It was the most amazing thing, I…I can’t really describe it. I wish you could feel it.” 

“It’s okay,” Harry said quietly, and kissed her. “Stay here, I want to show you something.” 

She watched him get up and stride across their room to the dresser where he opened the drawer, shuffled around for a moment and took something out. He paused for a moment with his back to her, and she admired the way the evening light fell across his well-defined shoulders, and down his back. He hadn’t played Quidditch in years, but he still hadn’t lost the muscle he’d acquired from the sport; she supposed that all those rigorous Auror training missions played a part in that. 

When he came back to bed, he had a soft, misty look in his eyes. “Here, take a look at this,” he said, and handed her something. She eased herself into a more upright position and looked at what he’d given her – it was the photograph he’d been looking at earlier that afternoon. 

“I saw this before, in your office,” she said. “It looks like Godric’s Hollow.” 

“It is. What do you think of it?”

“Godric’s Hollow? Well I think it’s--”

“No, love. I mean what do you think of the cottage?”

She looked at the picture, and then at Harry. She smiled. “It’s lovely, Harry.”

Harry brushed a lock of hair off her cheek and curled it behind her ear. His eyes welled with tears. “I miss my parents, Gin. I wish they could be here to meet their grandchildren, and to see how happy we are.”

Ginny set down the photograph and quietly took Harry into her arms, where he nestled against her chest and his hands softly stroked her belly. She calmly ran her fingers through his hair. “I know,” she said. “I do, too. But you know, just by being happy you’re living the kind of life they would have wanted for you.” 

Harry looked up, and the faintest hint of a smile crossed his lips. “They would have loved you,” he said, reaching up to touch her cheek. Then he kissed her, his tongue running along the inside of her mouth. “Of course, not as much as I do…” 

Quite suddenly he was hard against her thigh; his kisses became more urgent, and his hands curled beneath her buttocks, shifting her down. To help him, she opened her legs and guided him inside her, then she moved on top of him so she was straddling him. Then she moved forward just enough to get him even farther inside her. Her stomach was still small enough to not be much of an obstacle; Harry’s hands slid up her front, pausing on the crest of her belly before finding her breasts. He pinched her nipples, massaging his fingers into the soft skin. Even though her breasts were very tender, it felt fantastic with the dual sensations of his hands on her breasts and his cock moving inside her – she almost thought she would faint. 

“No one could love me as much – or as well as you do,” she breathed, closing her eyes and throwing her head back and her hips forward. 

“Well that’s a given.” Harry smirked. He began to ride her harder, and she ground her hips against him to prolong the sensation. A low groan of satisfaction emanated from somewhere deep in Ginny’s throat, and she felt him release himself inside her. Then he helped her along to climax, and they collapsed into each other’s arms. 

“So,” Harry said, “I was thinking maybe we’d go look at the cottage tomorrow.”

“We don’t have to.” 

“What do you mean? You don’t—"

Ginny looked up at him, and smiled at the boyish look of disappointment on his face. “No, I mean we don’t have to look at it, Harry. Just take it.” 

“Are you sure?” Harry asked hopefully, a smile teasing the corners of his mouth. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and forefinger. 

“Positive. I think it’s the perfect place to raise our kids.” 

“You don’t mind that it’s farther away from your family, and from Ron and Herm--”

“Yes, I’m sure.” She kissed him gently. “Buy it.”


	5. Maybe, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny begins to think about what she wants to do after the twins are born.

A week later, Harry and Ginny made a trip by train to Godric’s Hollow to see the cottage. As they drew closer to their destination, Ginny noticed a visible change in Harry's demeanor; his eyes grew bright and he smiled constantly as he looked out the window and pointed out bits of scenery that he recognized from previous trips. 

Across his lap lay the bouquet of fresh flowers they’d purchased at the station. As he always did when he visited Godric’s Hollow, Harry brought flowers to lay at his mum’s gravesite. Although he wouldn’t admit it to her, Ginny knew that he talked to his parents; telling them about his life, and about his dreams. It made her ache to think that he would never have that closeness with them, while all she had to do was send an owl or take a quick walk to talk to her parents. 

“Are you excited?” she asked, touching his hand as it lay in his lap curled over the stems of the flowers.

He looked at her and beamed. “I can’t wait for you to see the cottage in person. It’s…well, let’s just say that the photograph doesn’t do it justice.” 

“I’m looking forward to it,” Ginny replied. Then she felt it; the popcorn in her belly. Without hesitating, she took Harry’s hand quickly from the flowers, which fell onto the floor. But when he reached for the flowers she pulled him back, and planted his hand firmly on her stomach, holding it there with both of hers.

“Wait,” she said. Then she watched his face, while silently hoping the babies would move again. 

She knew the instant he’d felt it. His eyes softened, then gradually filled with tears. A look of pure joy came over his face – the last time she’d seen that expression was the day they’d learned about the twins. The idea that there would be many more moments just like this made Ginny immensely happy. If she had her way, every day of Harry’s life would be joyous. He’d more than earned it.

“Blimey,” Harry said, his voice barely above a whisper. “That’s them, isn't it?”

Ginny nodded, too overcome to speak. This time the babies moved for a good twenty seconds more, and both Harry and Ginny were riveted to the spot, barely breathing in anticipation. They were snapped back to attention by the sound of the train whistle, indicating the train’s imminent arrival at the station. 

“Gin?” Harry looked into her eyes. His hand was still on her stomach, even though now the movement had stopped.

“Hmm?” She still couldn’t form words. 

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I’d like to call our son…James.” 

Ginny smiled, and leaned forward to kiss him; their tongues flirted together for a moment, their lips faintly brushing against each other before they finally joined. 

“Of course,” she said finally. “I’d love that.” 

* * * 

Once they arrived at the station, a ten-minute walk brought them to the cemetery, located on a beautiful hillside on the outskirts of the town. Ginny waited nearby while Harry laid the flowers by his mother’s grave, and placed his hand on each of the gravestones for a long moment. The low murmur of his voice carried on the morning breeze. She swallowed back her own tears, and turned her eyes up toward the sky. It wasn’t fair, it simply wasn’t fair. 

She wondered what James and Lily would have been like. Harry said they would have loved her, and she honestly hoped he was right. She wanted them to know that she would take care of him and love him the way he deserved to be loved. People sometimes remarked that he and Ginny were like James and Lily, which made both of them uncomfortable; although for Ginny, the discomfort was more for Harry because of the painful reminders that those comparisons brought up. Harry loved his parents in a way that even Ginny couldn’t fathom, but he hated being compared to them. He and Ginny were determined to carve out their own future. She stroked her belly and smiled. 

“I’ll take care of him, I promise,” she said quietly, watching as Harry got to his feet, brushed off the knees of his trousers, and returned to her. It was almost imperceptible, but she felt a slight tickle of warmth run down her back, as if someone had stroked her there. Then Harry took her hand and they started walking again. 

Another twenty minutes brought them to a clearing, on the edge of which stood a two-story cottage, with a shingled roof and white shutters on the windows. It was surrounded by trees, and long grass. It was bordered by a white fence, and a stone walkway cut through the grass leading to the front door. 

Harry guided Ginny up the walkway, keeping his hand on her lower back. 

“So, what do you think?” he asked, as they stopped just outside the front door. They turned around to survey the surrounding land, and Ginny took in her breath at the astonishing beauty that was laid out before them.

“Wow. I love it, I simply love it. There’s so much space…”

All around them she saw only hills, trees, and a vast carpet of green. A few cottages were dotted along the hills, but far enough apart that they could consider themselves completely alone. Down in the valley where they had just been was the main portion of the town, a cluster of buildings surrounding the train station and slowly fanning out about a half-mile in every direction. Directly at the edge of that was the church, and the cemetery. The air was clear, and her cheeks tingled as the breeze rustled her hair. As if in agreement, the babies fluttered around inside her. 

She stroked her belly absently. “We’ll be able to have everyone over, and all the kids can run around the yard. It’ll be fantastic,” she said.

"You bet it will," Harry agreed, smiling broadly.

Inside, the rooms were filled with sunlight. The sitting room was large, and adjoined the kitchen and dining area; down the hallway was the loo, a closet, and two extra rooms. Upstairs was their Master bedroom, along with two more bedrooms and another loo. The Master Bedroom boasted the same view they had from the front steps. Even though the rooms were empty, Ginny felt right at home. She found herself envisioning where things would go. 

"We're not going have nearly enough furniture," she remarked, as she surveyed what would be their babies' nursery, across the hall from the Master bedroom. "I think we'll have enough for our bedroom and maybe half the sitting room downstairs." 

"Let's not worry about that, there will be lots of time for decorating – which, of course, I'll leave completely up to you."

"Mmm, I can't wait. It's going to be so much fun making this our home." 

Harry came up behind her, and slipped his arms around her resting them on the crest of her belly. “Yes indeed,” he said, bending to kiss her neck. “So which room should we christen first?”

Ginny felt the familiar tingling between her legs, and a shiver of pleasure moved up her spine. “I like that idea,” she murmured. “But I feel so…huge.” 

“I think you look bloody gorgeous.” He continued to kiss her neck, and it didn’t take long before she felt him hard against her leg. “In fact, you’ve never been sexier.”

“That’s sweet of you, but really I…can’t…” she closed her eyes as his hands traveled up her front and cupped her swollen breasts, emitting a gasp of pleasure as he pressed his stiffness against her thigh. 

“You don’t have to do anything, love.” He moved his hands down, opened her trousers, and began to massage her clit through her panties. She simply leaned back against him and let the sensation of his fingers become the focus of her attention. Before long he slipped them under the elastic of her panties and moved them inside her, where she was already wet. She moved against his fingers, biting her lower lip to keep from screaming. 

“Oh god, Harry…please…” His cock was pressed urgently against her, about ready to split his trousers open. “We have to do it,” she breathed. “Now.” 

“Hang on, love…” he continued to massage her in slow, steady strokes. She closed her eyes against the rising feeling of urgency; prickles of warmth radiated from her head down her spine and into her feet. 

“Harry, so help me, if you don’t…”

In a matter of seconds he had unfastened his trousers, and she caught a fleeting glimpse of his glorious erection before he moved inside her, easing her against the wall. She struggled to encircle him with her legs, and he helped her, wrapping them just beneath his buttocks. He thrust himself inside her, back and forth, while his lips hungrily sought her breasts. She held his head down there and he massaged her through her clothes with his lips while his hands gripped the soft skin of her buttocks. 

They stayed there for the next hour, switching rooms (and walls); by the time they left, they made quite a sight, both rumpled and smiling. 

“I can’t wait to move in,” Ginny said; she felt a pang of longing as they descended the hill and lost sight of the cottage. 

* * * 

“Hermione, you and Ron absolutely have to come and see it before the baby comes.” 

Ginny and Hermione sat outside under the shade of a tree in the backyard of the Burrow that Sunday afternoon. Delicious smells wafted from the open window of the kitchen, where Molly Weasley had stationed herself to oversee the preparations for one of her famous family feasts. She'd enlisted Arthur as her assistant. Nearby two dining tables had been pushed together to make a long table with a motley of chairs and benches; the linen tablecloth fluttered in the breeze.

"Oh, of course we will," Hermione agreed. "You'll have to let us throw you a Housewarming party, as well." 

All around the yard, members of the extended Weasley clan were mingling, laughing and showing off babies. Two children were chasing the toy golden snitch that “Uncle” Harry had brought; he’d fixed the speed so it wouldn’t go quite as fast or as high for the little ones. It was always a hit at family gatherings. Plus, Ginny liked to think Harry was scouting his nieces and nephews for a future Quidditch dynasty. 

Indeed, Harry lingered nearby with Ron, George, and Charlie, Butterbeer in hand, his eyes following the path of the snitch and watching closely as two year-old Joe, Fred & Angelina’s son, made a daring grab. Of course the little boy was not quite light enough on his feet, and went tumbling into the grass. But he got up, laughing, and continued to chase the snitch with his two year-old cousin Charlotte, Bill and Fleur's daughter, hot on his heels. Charlotte was the mirror image of her mother, with long silvery blond hair and aquiline features, although she had her father's eyes, and a faint smattering of Weasley freckles across her nose. 

“That’s a future Seeker we’ve got there, ain’t it?” Fred called, from where he sat with Angelina and their month-old twins, Ruby and Rose. 

“Well, he just may have some competition!” Harry replied, looking at Ginny.

"Yeah, we all know Potters have the advantage," Charlie retorted, and clapped his hand on a grinning Harry's shoulder. "Especially when both parents were Seekers." 

"Yeah, well the Potters won't be here for a few months yet, will they?" Bill said good-naturedly. He swung three year-old William up over his head. 

"Well we've got dibs on the Keeper, then," Ron added, with a glance in Hermione's direction. The two of them shared a quiet look.

Sitting nearby with their five month-old son, Albert, Fleur cautioned Bill to be careful: “Bill, he eez too little…you will drop ‘im!” 

"I've got him, love. Don't worry." Nevertheless, Bill, his hair in its usual ponytail, paused to stride over and give his pretty, blonde wife a reassuring kiss. Little William squealed for more flying, and ever the doting father, Bill indulged him. 

“So when are you going to move in?” Hermione asked Ginny, while stroking her nearly eight-month stomach. She took a sip of iced tea and laughed as Joe gave Charlotte a nudge and stepped in to grab the snitch. Charlotte, having inherited Bill's calm, laid-back attitude, simply picked herself up and asked Joe to release the snitch again. 

“We'll be moving pretty soon. Harry just wants to put some protective charms on the cottage.” 

“That’s Harry isn’t it? Still the protector, even after all this time,” Hermione said fondly. "He'll make a fantastic dad." 

"Yes, he will." Ginny cast a long glance at Harry, who caught her gaze and held it for a few seconds. He smiled, and looked at her in such a way that made her want to grab him and have him all to herself.

Still the protector. She supposed that it would be that way for Harry for the rest of his life. He would always carry that instinctive need to safeguard his family and friends; always feel that it was his responsibility to keep them out of harm's way. He'd taken losses from the war particularly hard, even though there was clearly nothing he could have done to prevent them. Occasionally when reminiscing about his fallen classmates he would refer to them in the present tense – then catch himself, and a look of intense sadness would come over his face. He still blamed himself for those losses, no matter what anyone said, and now she sensed that he felt the need to prove himself all over again. She wished that he would let himself rest, but she knew deep down that he never would. Not completely, and especially not now that they were starting a family. 

"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you," Hermione said, "yesterday I ran into Eloise Midgen, at the bookstore. She asked about you and Harry." 

"That's nice," Ginny remarked. "How is she?"

"She's great, actually. She's applied for a big residency program at St. Beetlebury hospital in Scotland next year."

"Good for her, I'm glad." Ginny smiled. She and Eloise had been study partners for much of the program, and had seen each other through many tough days at St. Mungo's.

"She also wanted to know if you'd be coming back to the Healer program. Have you given that any thought?" Hermione asked. 

The question surprised Ginny; simply because her mind had been so focused on getting pregnant, and the subsequent pregnancy that she hadn't given any thought at all to life beyond that point. She'd made the decision to leave the Healer program to focus on getting pregnant, and had naturally assumed she would return after having the baby. 

"Not really," she admitted. "I expect I'll be home with the babies for awhile, but I haven't thought about whether I want to do that full-time or not."

"I've arranged for an eight-week leave once Liam is born," Hermione said with an air of satisfaction. "The Ministry offered me more time – in fact they've been incessantly pestering me to take the last month of my pregnancy off as well, but I don't see the point. I'd rather not leave things undone for too long. Besides, your mum said she'd be happy to take Liam whenever we needed her. We looked into some other day care options, but Ron and I both decided that we prefer him to be in someplace familiar, with someone we trust."

"I expect mum will be taking care of a lot of our kids. Maybe she should open a day care center," Ginny suggested. 

"That's not such a bad idea," Hermione remarked, and her eyes lit up. "She's always mentioning how big and empty the Burrow is now with just her and your dad. Plus it would bring in some extra money, which will help when your dad retires in a few years." 

Ginny recognized the spark of enthusiasm in Hermione's voice, and she had no doubt that her friend was already drawing up plans in her head. 

"Perhaps," she said, with a smile.

 

While Hermione continued rattling off potential ideas for the day care center, Ginny's mind wandered. Sometimes she wished she could be more like Hermione, with everything planned out – but then that didn't suit her; she was usually the type to make quick decisions and do whatever felt right to her at a particular time. It was worrisome that this might not work now that she was about to be a mother. She enjoyed the Healer training program, and she missed it; but it was grueling and would require a lot of her time, perhaps more time than she would be willing or able to give.

Ginny watched with fondness as the family assembled for dinner a short time later; Molly Weasley was at the helm as usual, making sure everyone had a place and that there was enough food to go around. Growing up, Ginny had admired her mum's decision to stay home and raise a family, particularly one as large and rambunctious as theirs. She'd marveled at her mum's ability to do what seemed like a million things at once, and the uncanny knack she had for knowing when any of her children were in trouble. She knew just what remedies to use when they were sick, or hurt. But simultaneously Ginny had been confident that being a housewife was not for her. 

For some time she'd been convinced that she wanted to be on a professional Quidditch team, traveling the country playing the sport she so dearly loved. Then came the Healer Training Program, which surprisingly fit her to a tee and pushed thoughts of professional Quidditch onto the back burner. 

But now, watching her mum at work running the dinner like a well-oiled machine, Ginny wasn't so sure what she wanted. The indecision was making her head hurt, and she hated it. 

"Excuse me, I need to use the loo," Ginny abruptly got up from the table, and went inside. As she'd both hoped and expected, Harry followed her a short time later and found her sitting at the kitchen table, gazing out across the backyard at the happy Weasley family enjoying their meal. The air was filled with chatter and the occasional squeal of a baby; then Arthur's jovial laugh as he regaled everyone with an amusing story from the Ministry. 

"What's wrong, love?" Harry asked, massaging her shoulders while looking out at the yard. Ginny immediately relaxed at his touch, and release a long sigh. 

"Nothing, I'm just thinking," she said. 

"About what?" 

"It's just that Hermione's got things all worked out for after Liam is born and I'm starting to wonder what it is I'll do after the twins are born." 

"When does Hermione not have things worked out?" Harry said good-naturedly, and bent to kiss the top of her head. 

"Yes, but the thing is she knows what she's going to do with her life, and I don't." 

"What about the Healer training?"

"That's just it, Harry. I'm not sure if I'm going back or not." Ginny sighed in frustration. 

"Do you want to go back?" 

"I don't know." 

Harry sat down next to her, and put his arm comfortingly around her back. "Well, would you rather be at home with the babies?"   
Ginny looked at him. A comforting, warm sensation ran through her, as if someone had taken a pin and popped a hot water bottle in her stomach to send the water flowing through her veins. "Maybe," she said. It felt strange to say it, but at the same time it didn't feel altogether wrong either. "At least for awhile."

"You don't have to make any decisions right now, you know," Harry brushed a lock of hair off her cheek. "There's still time. Just do whatever is right for you, and don't worry about anyone else." 

She smiled. "Can you imagine me at the stove, in an apron?"

"Absolutely. In fact, I'd think it's pretty bloody sexy."

"Potter, is there anything you don't think is sexy?" Ginny raised an eyebrow. 

"Not when it comes to you, love. In fact, what do you say we head upstairs and have a go?" He tilted his head toward the stairs. 

"Right now? But everyone's just outside." 

"So, what's your point then?" Harry got up and reached for her hand. She took it, let him lead her upstairs.


	6. Beautiful Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny is six months pregnant, and is not quite herself.

Ginny sat in the darkened living room with a mug of tea cupped in her hands, and her feet propped up on the hassock. She'd wrapped herself in one of her mum's handmade blankets. Outside, rain lashed against the house, and wind rattled the window panes. It was three o'clock in the morning and, as was common over the last few weeks, Ginny couldn't sleep. Her stomach had grown so large that it was hard to find a comfortable position to rest; she would start out the night with Harry spooned against her back, his hands curled over her belly. But being a restless sleeper, Harry would inevitably move away. Once that happened, Ginny would be awake within minutes, and unable to get comfortable again.

She loved her babies, and she couldn't wait to meet them. But she'd decided that she hated being pregnant. Hermione had loved it; she'd said it gave her a sense of empowerment. Ginny and Harry had been to see her and Ron once since Liam was born two weeks ago, and Hermione had said she almost missed being pregnant. Right now, Ginny had a hard time believing that.

"What are you doing up?" Harry appeared at the foot of the stairs in his pinstriped pajamas and gray long-sleeved T-shirt. 

"Couldn't sleep," she replied, dejectedly. 

He went to the back of her chair and began to work his fingers into her neck and shoulders. "I'm sorry, love. Why didn't you wake me up? You shouldn't be taking the stairs on your own." 

"There's no reason for both of us to be up all night, especially since you've got work tomorrow. Or today, I guess I should say. Thanks, that feels fantastic." She closed her eyes against the rhythmic movement of his fingers, that sent pulsing waves of warmth down her aching back. 

Harry leaned over her and kissed the top of her head. "Why don't you come to bed and I'll rub your back for awhile, until you fall asleep."

Ginny smiled through her exhaustion. "Now that would be fantastic," she said. 

"All right then, let's get you out of this chair and up to bed." Harry helped her remove the blanket from her legs, then slipped his hand between her back and the chair. 

"I've got it, thanks." She put her feet on the floor and leaned forward as far as she could go, which was about an inch. Then put her hands on the arms of the chair and started to push herself up. This was not an easy feat; her stomach was the equivalent of a heavy rock strapped to her body. Inevitably, she felt Harry's hand on the small of her back, and his other hand on her arm. She knew he was only trying to help, but still it irritated her.

"Come on now, just lean on me," he said. 

"Harry please, I'm fine. I'm not an invalid for Pete's sake," she snapped, as tears of frustration filled her eyes. Harry looked stung. 

"Bloody hell, I'm sorry. I'm just…I shouldn't have said that. I suppose that having a rock strapped to your front can kind of wear on a girl's nerves after awhile." Ginny squeezed his arm as she finally rose to her feet.

Harry's face softened into an easy smile. "It's all right, Gin," he said. 

But it wasn't all right. Ginny hadn't been all right for the last month; she felt like a big, bloated elephant. She'd been throwing off Harry's romantic gestures left and right. She'd always heard about how pregnancy was such a beautiful thing, but she didn't feel beautiful at all. She couldn't sleep; she could barely get around on her own; she'd been reduced to taking baths instead of showers because standing in one place for more than a minute put too much weight on her ankles, and Harry had to help her in and out of the tub. Of course he didn't mind doing it, in fact he loved doting on her. But she wanted to take care of herself. 

She climbed into bed, and lay on her side while he climbed in next to her . The feeling of his hands and fingers gently kneading her back and shoulders was like heaven; right now, it was better than sex. She closed her eyes, blocked out the heavy weight of her stomach and the tenderness in her breasts, and instead focused on the ripples of warmth that ran through her body. 

"Thanks," she sighed deeply, and tears welled in her eyes. She was an awful person, for feeling like this. She loved Harry so much, and she had wanted more than anything to get pregnant, to give him the family he desired; and now she couldn't wait for it to be over. She wanted to feel like herself again. 

She inhaled, choking back a quiet sob. 

"Hey, are you all right?" Harry's hands slowed, and he leaned closer to her. His breath was hot against the side of her neck. 

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't stop, keep going." 

But he did stop, as she'd expected he would. He wrapped his arms around her belly, and clasped his hands with hers. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." 

"Gin, come on." 

"Harry, I said I'm fine." The tears were flowing down her cheeks now, and she was glad her back was facing him so he couldn't see them.

He moved up against her, their bodies perfectly spooned. It felt good to have him next to her like this. She needed that; closeness without any expectation of intimacy. For a long while, neither of them spoke while the rain slapped against the windows and the wind whistled through the trees. Before long Harry's deep, rhythmic breathing told her he'd fallen asleep, and she was alone again. 

* * * 

 

A familiar brown and white spotted owl appeared outside the kitchen window the next morning, and pecked at the glass. Ginny let him in and made rather slow work of getting him an owl treat, since it required her moving from the table to the counter, opening a drawer, and coming back again. But Hermes was patient, and calmly extended his leg for her to remove the parchment and proceeded to nibble on the snack while she reseated herself and broke the seal on the letter.

Ginny, 

If you wouldn't mind the company I'd like to come by and visit for awhile today. Of course I will bring lunch. I should be there by eleven o'clock. See you soon!

~ Mum

Ginny didn't feel much like seeing anyone at the moment, but she could hardly refuse her mum a visit. She hoped it would help take her mind off things. She scrawled out a response, strapped it to Hermes's leg and sent him off out the window. Then she watched as the owl swept across the open field, dipped and then soared into the cloudy sky. The air smelled of fresh grass and flowers; all the scents of nature coming alive after the rain. There was a stirring sensation in her chest, which she recognized as the desire to be outside on her broom, skimming the treetops and enjoying the clean air. She hadn't flown in such a long time, and she missed it. 

She decided that the first thing she would do once she was able was get herself on a broomstick. The thought made her smile, and she stroked her belly. The babies rustled inside her, and she was comforted by that. 

They'd only recently finalized the babies' names: James Arthur, and Sarah Lily. Harry had been hesitant to name both babies after his parents, but Ginny had insisted on it for their daughter; it just felt right to her. That, and in an unexplainable way it made her feel closer to Lily Potter, even though she'd never known her.

* * * 

Molly Weasley Apparated onto the front steps at exactly five minutes to eleven, bearing a basket of food and another handmade blanket. Ginny was delighted to see a container of strawberries come out of the basket as Molly laid out sandwiches and salads along with chilled pumpkin juice and glasses. She immediately took one of the largest strawberries, and let the sweet flavor fill her mouth. It tasted like heaven.

"These are wonderful mum, thanks. You have no idea how much I needed these," she said, as she eased herself into a chair opposite her mother. She discreetly tugged the container closer to her plate. 

Molly poured them each a glass of pumpkin juice, and smiled. But Ginny detected a worried look behind her eyes. "What is it?" she asked.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I do know how much you need them," Molly replied. "I received an owl from Harry early this morning." 

Ginny sighed. The familiar feeling of fatigue and listlessness came over her. Somehow this news was not surprising. 

"He says you've been very sad lately, and haven't been able to sleep. So he asked me to stop by and check on you." Molly reached across the table and took Ginny's hand, and gave it a squeeze. "He's just worried about you, love." 

"I know he is. I just…I don't feel like myself, mum. I'm tired and bad tempered all the time, my whole body aches, I can't go anywhere, and whenever Harry wants to get romantic I push him off…I hate it, I simply hate it. What's wrong with me?" 

"Well, you're pregnant with twins, Ginny. Your body is going through a lot. I went through many of the same things when I was carrying Fred and George. It’s natural." 

"But there has to be something I can do. I can’t spend the rest of the pregnancy feeling like this."

"Have you owled your Healer?”

Ginny shook her head. 

"Well why not? That's what she's here for, to help you manage your pregnancy." 

"I have an appointment in six days, I figured that if I was still feeling bad I would tell her then." 

"Nonsense, dear. You should owl her today, and request an appointment. If you'd like, I’ll go with you. Don't worry, it'll be all right." Molly squeezed her hand and smiled. 

Ginny started to smile back, and then quite suddenly the tears began to pour from her eyes. It was as if her emotions had been bottled up and her mother had just pulled the cork. 

“My goodness, Ginny!” Molly came to her side and put her arms around her. “What is it, love?”

“I’m sorry…I just…I can’t help it….” She choked on her words, finding it hard to breathe between sobs. Molly slowly helped her up, and the two of them walked slowly to the sofa, where they sat down together. Molly cradled Ginny’s head against her shoulder and stroked her hair the way she had when she was a little girl; she said nothing, and just let Ginny cry. 

“I’m going to be an awful mum, I just know it. I can’t even be happy while I’m pregnant.” 

“Nonsense.” Molly kissed her head, and squeezed her a little closer. “You’re just emotional, dear. That’s perfectly normal. Now breathe, try to calm down. Just relax.” 

Little by little, Ginny felt her heart rate slow, and her breathing became regular. She curled her arms around her belly and slowly began to stroke it, something she usually did to calm herself. Not a moment later, there came the familiar sensation of movement within her; only this time, there was a more forceful kick against the side of her belly, right against her palm. Then another one, on the other side. 

Her body filled with warmth, and suddenly nothing else mattered. Maybe it was silly, but she felt like the babies were comforting her. She smiled.

* * * * 

“The main thing to be aware of, Ginny, is that it is very normal to feel like this during pregnancy,” Helena said with a reassuring smile, as she performed the cursory examination. Ginny watched the soft colored flashes emanating from her Healer’s wand, and found herself almost immediately calmed. Across the room, her mum gave her a smile. 

“It is important to understand you are not alone; mood swings are just another aspect of the pregnancy experience,” Helena went on. “While I do wish you had come to see me sooner, I’m glad that you have finally chosen to address it.” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I thought I’d be able to shake it,” Ginny said. “I’m not usually like this, I thought it would go away.” 

“What I suggest is getting as much rest as you can. Take short walks. Being in the fresh air will do wonders for you. Spend time with friends, and with your husband. But most importantly, Ginny, don’t be so hard on yourself.” Helena smiled. “You’re going through a lot right now, you can’t do the things you’re used to, and you’re going to feel different. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.” 

“Okay, thank you.” Ginny smiled vaguely, feeling somewhat relieved.

“Now, I don’t want to alarm you but I have noticed that your blood pressure is a little higher than where I’d like it to be. It’s nothing to worry about,” she added, seeing the worried expression on Ginny’s face. “But I can’t emphasize enough the need for rest and relaxation. Absolutely no stress. And I’m going to give you some vitamins to add to those you’ve been taking.” 

“There’s nothing wrong with the babies, though?” Molly jumped up from her seat anxiously. 

“No, the babies are very healthy and developing normally. But too much stress could lead to adverse effects such as premature birth.” 

“What about sex, would that be considered stressful?” Ginny asked. She felt a little uncomfortable discussing it with her mum in the room, but she knew it would come up with Harry eventually. She purposely didn’t look in her mum’s direction while waiting for the Healer’s answer. 

“Sex should be fine, but only if you feel like it. Certainly don't overdo it, of course.” 

“The thing is, I don’t really feel like it now. But Harry…my husband, I know he wants to. I’ve been putting him off for a while now, and I’m beginning to feel a bit guilty about it.” 

“Ginny, what’s most important right now is you, and the babies. If sex makes you uncomfortable, don’t feel pressured to do it. There are other ways to express intimacy.” 

“All right. Thank you.” 

* * * * 

When they got back from the Healer, Ginny was surprised to find Harry home; he was pacing back and forth in front of the kitchen window, obviously watching for them, and when they appeared at the foot of the walkway he came outside to meet them, still wearing his work robes.

“What are you doing home?” Ginny asked, although she smiled at the sight of him. 

“I couldn’t focus at work, I was thinking about you and the babies. Did everything go all right?” He put one hand on the small of her back and let her lean on him as they went up the steps into the cottage. 

Ginny filled him in on everything the Healer had told her, as he helped her sit down on the sofa. Then he sat down next to her, holding her hands. Molly excused herself to prepare tea in the kitchen, to give them some time alone. 

“But everything’s all right, then?” Harry asked anxiously, his brow furrowed. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Yes, we’re all fine. She said I just need to relax.” Ginny relaxed against the cushions, relieved to take the weight off her back and feet. Then she looked at Harry, who was still watching her with concern. “I’m sorry.” 

“Sorry for what, love?”

“For just…everything.” She sighed. “Well, mostly about the sex.” 

“What about it?” 

“It’s just that, I know you want to, Harry, and I love our sex life. I love you. But I can’t right now. I wish I could but...well, I might as well be honest. I don’t want to.” 

She watched for his reaction, half expecting him to look hurt or disappointed. But instead Harry lifted her hands to his mouth and kissed her fingers slowly, one by one. As he bent his head forward, his bangs tickled her hand. The combined sensations of his lips stroking her and his hair tickling her made Ginny’s entire body feel warm. 

“I have an idea,” he said, without taking his eyes off her. “How about you lie back and I’ll massage your feet?”

“You’re not upset, or disappointed?”

“I’m not going to say I wouldn’t like to. But Gin, while I love what we have sexually, I love what we have here even more.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently, then took her face in his hands to deepen the kiss. 

“I love you,” she whispered. Then she noticed something. “Where’s mum?” 

Harry smiled knowingly. “Oh, she left.” 

“But I thought she was--” Ginny stopped herself, upon realizing that she hadn’t heard any of the requisite sounds from the kitchen in the few minutes since her mum had left the room. Her lips widened into a smile. “All right then, how about that foot massage?” 

“Coming right up.” 

Harry eased her back, then using his robes for a pillow, Ginny rested her head against the arm of the sofa and closed her eyes. Then came the wonderfully sensual feeling of Harry’s fingers massaging the soles of her feet, and the soothing sensation of her babies settling themselves inside her. Then she drifted off to sleep.


	7. Birthing Babies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny prepares to give birth.

It was just after one a.m., and Ginny couldn't sleep. This wasn't unusual in and of itself, but this time she felt different. Over the past few days she'd felt a distinct shift in the weight of her stomach, and her back had been aching more than usual. At the Healer's request, she'd been spending the majority of her time off her feet; the size of her abdomen and the shift in weight made it risky for her to spend much time standing. 

However, what Ginny had noticed the most over the past few days was that the babies had been atypically quiet. She'd owled the Healer earlier in the week, and Helena had responded promptly, saying that it was nothing to be concerned about; the babies were simply preparing for birth. 

Preparing for birth. How could it possibly be time to prepare for birth? Ginny couldn't quite wrap her mind around this. She was nearly eight months pregnant, and the babies could come just about any time, because as Helena had told her, it was not uncommon for multiple births to be a few weeks premature. Contrary to the exaggerated myths Ginny had heard about the beauty and grace of pregnancy, it had been a rocky experience for her, and while she was certainly ready to not be pregnant, she still wasn't sure if she was actually ready to be a mum. 

Snowflakes drifted lazily past the window; she tried to distract herself by watching them fall, hoping that maybe that would be enough to lull her to sleep. Beside her, Harry slept soundly; his slow, rhythmic breathing provided additional comfort to her. Ginny liked having him close, especially now that her anxiety level was increasing. He'd taken an extended leave of absence from the Ministry in order to be with her for the last weeks of the pregnancy and the early weeks after the birth. At first she'd been skeptical about him being away from work for such a long time, given his restless nature; but he seemed happy taking care of her and she liked having him all to herself. Of course her mum popped in regularly to help, and there were visits from Hermione, Ron, and baby Liam to take her mind off things; but really it was Harry that made her feel secure and safe.

He would make a wonderful father. This thought made her smile through her discomfort, and her hands stroked her enormous belly. "You two are so lucky to have such a wonderful daddy," she murmured, and finally felt her eyelids start to grow heavy. 

But then she felt something else, and her eyelids jerked back up. 

It was a tightening sensation traveling from her back to her front. Her abdomen became hard beneath her fingers, and she felt a sharp discomfort not unlike how she felt when she was constipated. She had read all the literature that Helena had given her about false labor contractions, and how to differentiate them from true labor; nevertheless, she felt a rush of adrenaline at the thought that this could be it. Her first instinct was to wake Harry, but then she decided to wait and see if another contraction followed. 

She waited; tried to relax by watching the snowfall, and listening to Harry's breathing. She sneaked glances at the clock on the wall – the custom-made Weasley Potter clock that had been a wedding gift from her parents – to see how long it took. 

Ten minutes later, she felt it again; that tightening in her back, and the sharp discomfort just below her belly. It was about the same intensity as the previous one, which could potentially mean it was false labor. She wanted so much to wake Harry, but again decided to wait. 

"Oh!" 

The pain was sudden, and noticeably stronger than before. She looked at the clock. It had been five minutes since the last contraction. Her throat went dry and her mind raced. This was it, it was time. She was in labor. 

"Harry," she said aloud. Her voice trembled, although it was barely noticeable. 

"Mmmnrhhmmm…" Harry muttered incomprehensibly and shifted in the bed beside her. A moment later, his breathing was regular again. 

Ginny pursed her lips and sighed. Of course, now he would decide to be a sound sleeper. 

"Harry, wake up. I'm having contractions. Harry!" she gave him a kick in the shin with her foot. 

"What, what is it, what's going on?" Harry sat up and rubbed his eyes, groping for his glasses on the side table. 

"It's time," she said quietly, her eyes rimmed with tears as she looked at him. 

"Time…Blimey, are you sure?" His face took on the excited glow of a child. He grabbed her hand and held it tightly. 

"Pretty sure," she replied. "I've had three in the last twenty-five minutes. The first two were kind of mild, but the last one was pretty strong. You'd better get the stopwatch. We're supposed to time them, to make sure it's not false labor." 

"Oh my god, Gin," he breathed, and bent to kiss her. For a long moment, their lips flirted, and she felt, even in the midst of her heightened anxiety, that familiar twinge of desire. 

"Yeah," she said simply, and smiled. 

"How do you feel?"

She was about to answer when she felt another noticeable pain. "Oh! Harry, you'd better get--"

"Forget the bloody stopwatch. I'm owling the Healer, and we're going to the hospital." Harry bolted from the bed. Ginny felt the urge to grab his arm and make him stay there with her; she desperately did not want to be alone. But instead she watched him as he threw on first a T-shirt, and then a sweater over his pajamas, then went to the desk to scribble a note on a piece of parchment. 

"Your bag's already packed, right?" He paused at the doorway on his way downstairs to get Hedwig. Their eyes met, and for a moment the world fell away. It occurred to Ginny as she lay there with her hands curled around her stomach, immersed in Harry's green eyes, that these would be their last moments alone in the cottage. The next time they came home, they would be parents. The thought both thrilled her and terrified her. 

* * * * 

"Well, the babies are in the birthing position. So you're definitely in labor," Helena said with a smile. She pulled down the hem of Ginny's hospital gown after performing the cursory examination. "Although you are still in the very early stages. Under ordinary circumstances, I would suggest you go home for a few hours; however given the weather conditions I'll go ahead and have you admitted." 

"Early stages? So, how long do you expect it will be, then?" Harry asked from where he stood at Ginny's bedside. Ginny was holding his hand, and pretty much hadn't let go of it since they left the cottage. She knew she was squeezing it perhaps a little too tightly, but she couldn't bring herself to loosen her grip; it was as if she were afraid he would disappear. 

"It's hard to say. But I'd plan for a long wait, I'm afraid." 

Ginny felt a pang of disappointment, followed by a rush of anxiety. A long wait. She didn't want a long wait. She just wanted to have her babies, and go home.

"How long is 'long'?" she asked. 

"It varies with each witch, so I couldn't really say for sure." Helena seemed genuinely disappointed for them as she said this. She placed her hand gently on Ginny's wrist. "In the meantime, I recommend drinking a lot of fluids to keep yourself hydrated. If you feel up to taking a short walk, with your husband's help, of course, it may accelerate the labor. I'll be here if you need anything. Feel free to contact me if there are any changes at all or if you have any questions. Or notify a nurse and she can find me."

"Yes, thanks," Harry said quickly. 

"I'll ask someone to bring in some water and ice for you," Helena said. She nodded to each of them, then left the room. 

Normally in the maternity ward, patients were grouped two or four to a room; however, above Ginny's protests Harry had pulled some strings to get her a private room. He hated to use his celebrity to get anything, and she hated being the reason for it. But he'd insisted, and she'd given in, too tired to argue. 

It was a nice room about the size of their bedroom at home, and it came complete with a sofa and armchairs, a private loo, and a wireless music system. Artwork adorned the walls; landscapes and seascapes done in soft, soothing pastels. Another cushioned chair was stationed next to Ginny's bed. With the Christmas holidays approaching, there was also a miniature Christmas tree on the bedside table. 

Harry pulled the chair closer. "Do you need anything? Should I owl your mum?" he asked.

She smiled weakly, and shook her head. "I'm fine," she said. "Just stay with me, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere, love. Don't worry." 

A nurse slipped in quietly levitating a tray with two good-sized pitchers of water, and cups with crushed ice. She smiled politely at them, and set the items on the bedside table. Then she nodded again, her eyes lingering an extra moment on Harry, then exited the room. 

"Bloody hell," Harry muttered, as he got up and started to fix her a glass of water. His cheeks were flushed, and his jaw set tightly. "The whole ruddy hospital probably knows we're here." 

"Or possibly she was staring at your pinstriped pajama bottoms," Ginny noted, in an attempt to lighten the mood. She'd only just noticed that he still had them on when he stood up to get her water. 

Harry glanced down, and the slightest hint of a smile crossed his lips. He handed her the water, then sat down beside her, watching her as she took a drink. "I just want this to go as smoothly as possible, and not turn into a media circus." 

"Don't worry about it--Oh!" she gripped the side of her bed as a pain suddenly gripped her abdomen. Harry quickly took the water from her and set it down on the table. While this one was stronger than the initial contraction she'd felt at home, the intensity hadn't increased significantly since they'd arrived. She closed her eyes and let the pain gradually subside. If the entire labor could only be this easy. But she knew that it would only get more difficult; a flicker of panic ran through her, and she quickly suppressed it by thinking of how much she couldn't wait to meet the babies. She had to stay calm and save her energy. 

"Are you all right?" Harry asked, his brow furrowed. "Are you sure you don't want me to get you anything?"

"I'm fine. All I need right now is you." Ginny reached for his hand again, and he took it and pressed her fingers to his lips. 

* * * 

Six hours later, not much had changed except that her contractions were stronger and longer than before. They both had hoped that this meant she was closer to delivery, but Helena's examination revealed that she was still not dilated enough. 

"You've made a little progress, but technically you're still in the early stage of labor," she said. "Your cervix is dilated two centimeters." 

"That's all?" Harry said, with a hint of impatience. "How long does she have to go through this?" 

"Harry, it's all right," Ginny tried to calm him, even as tears stung the corners of her eyes. 

"No, it's not, you're in pain," he insisted, then rounded on Helena. "There has to be something we can do for her." 

"Harry please don't—"

But Helena seemed completely unfazed by Harry's outburst; she met it with a warm, understanding smile. "Well there is a light potion that should take the edge off the contractions. It's very mild, there's no danger to the babies…" she turned her eyes to Ginny. 

"No," Ginny said without hesitation. 

Harry leaned closer. "Gin, it might be a good idea."

"Harry, I said no. I'm not taking anything. No arguments." 

"Gin--"

"NO!" she said, a little louder than she'd intended. But it happened that a contraction hit just as she spoke. The pain was sharp, and seemed to last forever. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, and squeezed the life out of Harry's hand until it passed.

"It's all right. If you change your mind, let me know. I'll be back in a couple of hours to check on you," Helena said, then departed. 

Six hours, and she'd only dilated two centimeters. Six hours that had felt like six days, and she wasn't even halfway there. Ginny wanted to scream, or cry but she was too exhausted now to do either. Sleep would be futile; she'd long since given up on trying, since she would only be interrupted by a contraction the moment she got comfortable. 

Eventually she asked Harry to Owl her mum, and also Hermione. While Harry rushed off to take care of this, Ginny finally let the tears fall freely. She'd held back while Harry was in the room; given the troubled expression on his face, his constant state of motion, and his urgent need for her to take pain potions, she knew he had found a way to blame himself for her physical distress, and she wasn't about to show just how much pain she was in. Once her mum and Hermione had arrived they would take some of the responsibility off his shoulders and give him a much-needed rest, even though he would undoubtedly resist it every step of the way.

Gods, why did it have to be this hard? Suddenly, inexplicably, Ginny wanted her mum. It was more than a want; it was an urgent, desperate need to have her mum there with her, to tell her it was all right, that she would be okay. She wanted to feel mum's soft hand on her forehead, and smell the scent of fresh bread on her skin. She wanted to hear the old family lullaby that mum had sung to her and her brothers when they were young. 

As she lay there with tears streaming down her face and her body weakened with exhaustion and pain, the realization hit her like a ton of bricks – this would be her role now, for Sarah and James. She would be the one they cried out for when they were ill, the one who would sing them lullabies and give them baths, and feed them dinner. 

"Oh my god, I'm going to be a mum," she murmured. It seemed ridiculous for this to only occur to her now, hours away from the birth of her children. But only now after six hours of labor, did it become real. 

Not an hour later, her mum and Hermione descended on the hospital room, bringing with them a wave of much-needed energy. Molly brought a patchwork quilt, which she promptly laid across Ginny's legs and tucked it in around her tenderly. Hermione also brought two stuffed bears, one for each of the babies, as well as a couple of current Witch Weekly and Witch Mommy magazines that she set on the bedside table next to the two recently refilled pitchers of water. Right behind Hermione, to Ginny’s surprise, was Ron. 

“Hey, Gin,” he said with an easy smile. He came to the bed, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How're you feeling?"

Ginny smiled. "Okay, thanks." 

"So, I was asked to come and get the father-to-be out of the mummy-to-be’s hair," Ron said. "How about we get something to eat?"

“Ron, I didn’t say that,” Hermione insisted, with a look at Harry. 

“Thanks Ron,” Harry said. He looked relieved, and he visibly relaxed at the sight of his friend; this in turn made Ginny relax a little.

“Of course, mate. What are friends for?"

“Where’s Liam?” Ginny asked. 

“Dad’s watching him for a bit. Now come on, Harry, let’s leave the hens to do their clucking.” 

“Are you sure you’ll be all right, because I can stay--” Harry leaned close to Ginny, and squeezed her hand. She noticed his grip was unsteady, and his fingers were trembling.

“Go,” she said gently. “I’m fine.” 

Harry started to stand up, then hesitated. “But if anything happens--”

“Nothing’s going to happen for awhile, so go. You need a break.” 

“If anything happens, Harry, we’ll find you. Don’t worry,” Hermione assured him. “Now go on, get some air. You’ve been here all night.” 

“Yes Harry, dear. Go with Ron and get something to eat.” Molly patted his shoulder and gave him a motherly kiss on the cheek. “Ginny is in very good hands.” 

“All right,” Harry said with a vague smile at Molly, although he still looked reluctant. He bent to give Ginny a kiss, and touched her cheek. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” she whispered. “Now go.” 

"Now, let's take care of you," Molly said, and promptly began to fluff the pillow behind Ginny's head. 

"I'm so glad you're here," Ginny said, as soon as the door shut behind Harry and Ron. "Honestly, I don't know how I'm going to get through this, it's taking so long and I'm so tired…"

"I know it seems like forever, but we'll see you through this Ginny, don't worry," Hermione said with a reassuring smile. 

* * *

She simply couldn't take it any more. 

Over the past five hours, she'd endured long, frequent, and extremely painful contractions, each of which left her shaking and dripping with perspiration. It was a pain unlike anything she had ever experienced in her life, and she hoped she would never experience again. These contractions had started at about ten o'clock that morning, and now at three o'clock still showed no signs of letting up. Hermione periodically fed her ice chips, while Molly mopped her brow. Harry held her hand and said words of encouragement while Ron paced worriedly back and forth across the room and occasionally shot what could only be described as accusatory looks at his best friend. 

Harry looked more stressed than she'd ever seen him before – his skin had lost almost all color, his brow was furrowed, and he looked like he was on the verge of exploding at any given moment. Every time Ginny felt another contraction coming on, he would wince with pain and look around furiously as if trying to find someone to blame. 

"Harry, please sit down, dear," Molly gestured toward the chair. "You look like you're about to faint." 

"I'm not leaving," Harry said resolutely. 

"Harry, you really should--" Hermione started, but a fierce glare from Harry quieted her. 

At Harry's urging, Helena had come in at some point to check on her, although Ginny's memory was foggy as to when that had been; Helena had announced that Ginny's dilation had reached 8 centimeters, which judging by the encouraging look on her face was supposed to be good news. But as far as Ginny was concerned the only good news would be when this was over. 

She still had two centimeters left to go and she felt like she was going to die. It was too late to take anything for the pain, and she was beginning to regret her decision not to take it when it was offered to her seven hours earlier. 

"I can't…I can't do this, I have to stop…" she pleaded, to no one in particular. All she could see was the pain, radiating around her eyes and tearing through her abdomen.

"You can do it, love," Harry encouraged her, although he didn't sound quite as optimistic as he had when the labor had first started. 

"No, I can't, Harry. Make it stop!" 

"It's all right, Ginny. It will be fine. You've come a long way, you can make it," Hermione's voice drifted in and out of her head; Ginny couldn't see her, but she felt her hand on her arm. 

"But I'm so tired…Don't make me do this any more. Please make it stop…ARRRGHH!!" She closed her eyes against the fierce, burning pain; she wanted to cry, but she was too exhausted to work up the effort. 

"Bloody hell. I'm getting out of here," Ron finally declared, and made a beeline for the door. "I can't watch. I'm going to take a walk."

"Ron, wait—" Hermione started, but it was too late; he'd already gone. 

"I'm going to find the Healer," Molly announced, and after kissing Ginny's damp forehead, she scurried out of the room.

Ginny felt a mounting pressure in her groin, followed by the almost irresistible urge to push. It felt like she had to use the loo, even though she knew that wasn't it. Thank god, she thought. Thank god, they're coming. She could see the end of the tunnel now, and she swore she could feel the babies moving out of her. 

"What is it?" Harry asked anxiously, noticing her bear down. 

"She's in transition," Hermione said, excitedly. "She must be almost fully dilated!" 

Harry didn't bother to ask how Hermione knew this. He knelt closer to Ginny. "We're almost there, love. You're doing fantastic. I love you." 

Molly returned with Helena close behind. A quick examination confirmed what Hermione had already said. "Congratulations, Ginny. You're in transition, at 9 centimeters. You're almost there, you're doing beautifully." 

"Oh thank goodness," Molly sighed. Tears beaded in her eyes. 

"How much longer?" Ginny breathed, and turned hopeful eyes toward her Healer. 

"Well once you reach 10 centimeters, it could be any time." 

Any time. This was music to Ginny's ears. She even managed a weak smile as she looked up at Harry; some color had returned to his cheeks, although his eyes were rimmed with tears. 

"How long do you expect it should take her to reach 10 centimeters?" Hermione asked, holding onto Ginny's left hand. 

"The duration varies, but I would say maybe an hour." 

An hour. She could do that. One more hour and she would have her babies, the pain would be over, and she could sleep. 

* * * 

"Come on now, Ginny. Push! You can do it!" 

Helena's voice wafted in and out of Ginny's head as if in a dream. But Ginny had been pushing for what seemed like hours, and with every grunt she lost a little more willpower. Her energy was nearly gone. She'd never known exhaustion like this before. She didn't know how she could possibly still be conscious. 

Harry lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed it to his lips. "Hang in there, Gin," he said. "Come on, love. You're doing fantastic…" 

Ginny wanted to snap, "Well if I'm doing so ruddy fantastic then why haven't the babies come out?" But she simply looked up at him and did her best to smile. 

"That's it, that's perfect – we can see the head now…." Helena coaxed her.

She felt as though she would split in two. For the next sixty seconds she was wracked with pain, and screamed out her frustration in what she was sure would be her final push because she simply couldn't do it any more. 

"Get them out of me," she groaned. "Just get them out." 

She then collapsed against the mattress, and closed her eyes. Her body shivered uncontrollably as sweat poured from her brow. The hospital gown clung to her like a second skin. A nurse stepped in to wipe her forehead, and Harry kissed her hand. Ginny thought she heard him say something that sounded like, "I'm sorry." Then another sound entered her ears. 

A baby was crying. 

Her baby. 

"You have a little girl," Helena announced, and from between Ginny's legs she lifted a small figure covered in a gelatin-like substance. At first it didn't even look human, but then the infant's head turned just slightly and Ginny saw her mouth, wide open, screaming. 

"You did it, love. Oh my god, you did it," Harry breathed, tears pouring from his eyes. But at the same time he was almost laughing with joy. 

"We did it," she said, so tired she was barely able to form the words. The room was filled with the sound of her daughter's crying, and Harry's laughing. It was the most beautiful moment of her life. 

Then quite suddenly, her body seemed to split in two once more; she felt another unbearable urge to push. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Sarah Lily was ushered away; she felt a tug in her chest, then panic. She didn't want her baby out of her sight. 

"Wait," she called, but her voice was so weak it was barely audible. 

"Focus, Ginny," Helena was saying. "Come on now, one more." 

"But I want my baby—where is she?"

"She's fine, she's being taken care of. Now push, Ginny. Come on, you're almost there." 

"No, I'm too tired…" 

"Please love, you can do it. Just a little bit more." Harry bent closer to her and kissed her forehead, while squeezing her hand like a vise. 

"I can't…" But then she was pushing. It took every ounce of willpower she had, but somehow she did it. One minute later, Sarah's cries were joined by those of her brother, James. 

"Here's your little boy," Helena said, and tilted the baby enough so that both Harry and Ginny could see him. 

Even though he was covered in gelatin, it was easy to spot a thatch of black hair on James's head. Ginny's heart swelled so much she thought it would burst. He looked like his father, just like she'd hoped he would. She began to cry, her body wracked with exhaustion but she couldn't help it. 

"Ginny, are you all right? Gin--" Harry said worriedly, leaning in close. But Ginny didn't answer; she just continued to sob, while surrounded by the cries of her newborn children. 

They did it.


	8. Happy Christmas, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ginny bring their babies home, and celebrate their first Christmas as parents.

Ginny stood at the window of her hospital room, gazing out at the clear blue sky. Sunlight reflected off the snow, making it sparkle as if small diamonds had been sprinkled over it. While the snow had been falling steadily since her arrival at the hospital three days ago, it had stopped overnight. It was a beautiful sight; the perfect day for her and Harry to bring their babies home. Ginny chose to view this as a good sign. 

Now that they were leaving the security of the hospital, she was a little nervous. There would be no nurses to tell her if she was positioning the babies the right way to feed them, or to interpret the meaning behind every different cry. How would she know if the babies were hungry or sick, if they needed to be changed, or simply wanted to be held? What if she couldn't get them to sleep? She'd had a hard time breastfeeding that morning; her nipples were sore, her breasts still felt heavy, and she didn't think the twins had eaten enough. Fortunately the nurses had given her plenty of literature and had demonstrated specific charms and potions she could use to help pump the milk, and to ease some of the pressure on her breasts. But she still felt uncertain.

Mum had said she would help take care of the twins, and had even offered to move in with them for awhile. Ginny had almost jumped at the chance, but decided against it, partially because she knew it would make Harry feel uncomfortable; but also because she figured that she had to learn to manage things on her own. She was a real mother now, and her babies were depending on her. 

"So, are you ready?" 

Ginny turned from the window and smiled. A visibly exhausted but exhilarated Harry stood just inside the doorway, wearing an emerald green sweater and jeans. He cradled Sarah in his left arm, and James in his right. Both babies were sleeping, tucked tightly into warm blankets; a tuft of black hair peeked out of James's gold-colored blanket, and a wisp of ginger fuzz peeked out of Sarah's burgundy blanket. The hospital had offered them the requisite blue and pink, but Harry had had other plans. 

"Yes, just about ready," she replied. "How are the babies?" 

"Just brilliant." Harry bent to give each baby a kiss on the forehead. A great swell of emotion washed over Ginny at the sight, and her eyes welled with tears. This was the culmination of everything Harry had ever wanted – a family - and she had given that to him. She felt invincible.

"I love you," she said aloud, and quickly brushed the tears out of her eyes. When Harry looked up at her she smiled, then crossed the room and held out her arms. "Now I'd like to hold one of our babies." 

"Take your pick." 

Ginny chose James, who nestled comfortably against her breast as she curled her arms around his small body. He smelled of baby powder and soap, and when she brushed a finger over his plump cheek, it felt like the softest thing she had ever touched. 

"He's so amazing," she said, her voice just above a whisper as if she were afraid to break the fragile moment. She almost wanted her son to wake up just so she could get another glimpse of his beautiful green eyes. When the babies were first born, both of them had blue eyes, but before long they had settled into what would be their natural color – Sarah's were a rich chocolate brown like Ginny. 

"Well call me biased, but I think we've got the two most gorgeous babies in the world," Harry replied. "What do you think?"

"Oh, without a doubt. But yes, you are just a bit biased." 

Harry moved closer, and with the babies snuggled comfortably between them, he kissed her. "Thank you," he said. 

"For what?"

"Making me the happiest man on earth." 

She smiled. "Anytime." 

* * * * 

Three days later, Ginny looked back on that moment wistfully. By her estimation that had been the last quiet time she and Harry shared since they'd brought James and Sarah home from the hospital. 

It was three-thirty a.m. on Christmas Day, and to Ginny it seemed as though she and her daughter were the only two living things awake in the entire world. She paced slowly back and forth in the sitting room in her robe and slippers, gently bouncing the restless infant against her shoulder. Outside, snow fell steadily while inside the heat charms that Harry had put on the house for the winter kept them snug and warm. 

"Come on baby girl, go to sleep," Ginny murmured hopefully as she passed the Christmas tree for what had to be the tenth time. The tree was modestly decorated with simple gold, burgundy, green and blue ornaments, and twinkled with pale yellow fairy lights. Beneath it were piles of presents, mostly for the babies from an overzealous Harry, who couldn't seem to get enough of buying things for them. Despite herself, Ginny had peeked through the pile and was pleased to find a few for herself – even as an adult, she still got that childish twinge of excitement around the holidays. Her parents, Ron, and Hermione had already delivered their presents; of course there would be the annual Christmas gathering at the Burrow, but with the babies too young to go out, and Harry and Ginny utterly exhausted, they had bowed out of the festivities. 

It would be the first time she'd missed a family Christmas since the war. Before that, she'd never missed one; it made her sad to think of her loved ones celebrating together without her. She sighed, and felt the sting of tears in the corners of her eyes. But this was her life now. Her babies came first, before anything else. Besides, it was their first Christmas as parents. They would create their own traditions.

 

She pressed her mouth to Sarah's soft, warm head and marveled at the feeling of her daughter's feathery light hair against her lips. The baby was quiet, but Ginny could tell from her subtle movements and barely audible sounds that she wasn't asleep. Sarah was restless, like her father. It took her longer to fall asleep, and then she rarely slept soundly. James, meanwhile was a sound sleeper; once he was fed and walked for a few minutes usually he would drop off to sleep easily. Both babies still woke up every two to three hours, but rarely at the same time. The Healer had said it would take at least a couple of weeks for them to get on a regular schedule. 

It amazed Ginny how quickly she'd started thinking like a mother even after just three days. She noticed every little thing about her babies, from their moods and behaviors to their facial expressions and sounds. Sarah and James had completely taken over her life, and she loved it despite the lack of sleep and precious few private moments with Harry. She had a lot to learn, and of course her mum would be there to offer advice as well as her sisters-in-law – well, mostly Hermione, who seemed to have all the answers, even after only being a mother herself for little more than two months. Ginny was still getting used to holding the babies the right way, and was terrified of both dropping them and squeezing them too hard. 

Upstairs, she heard the start of James's crying. Not much later, there was a footfall on the floor above her head and she heard Harry go into the nursery to fetch the baby. Harry was adapting to fatherhood as naturally as he had to playing Quidditch; it seemed to be in his blood. Ginny felt a quiver of anticipation rush down her back as she listened to the movements upstairs, and imagined a tired and rumpled Harry leaning into the cradle to retrieve his son. She loved having him home with her, and rather selfishly had begun to hope that he would start working from home rather than commuting to the Ministry. 

For several minutes she listened to James's crying and knew that Harry was walking with him upstairs, to quiet him without disturbing Ginny and Sarah downstairs. Eventually he found his way downstairs, and she listened as he fetched a bottle and said a quiet warming charm. Then he joined her in the sitting room with James cradled in his arms; the baby was restless and fussy, and continually pushed the bottle away. 

"I think he needs you," Harry said, with an almost apologetic look on his face.

Judging by the sudden heaviness in her breasts, Ginny knew he was right. "Let's trade," she said quietly, and Harry took Sarah while she settled into the armchair, then he handed her James. Breastfeeding was still a challenge for her; while she was getting better, she still hadn't quite mastered feeding both babies at once, even with the nursing pillows Hermione had given her, so for the time being she did one at at time. With their varying sleeping schedules this was not too difficult to manage.

While Harry walked quietly with Sarah, she unfastened her robe and pulled away the top of her nightgown, then settled the baby close to her; he had some trouble finding the breast, and she helped him, guiding his eager mouth onto her swollen, leaking nipple. Although the nipple was very sore, the sensation of her son's mouth taking the milk from her breast made her feel calm and peaceful. She settled into the cushions, adjusted her arm securely around the baby, and watched him while an aura of sleep lingered over her. She knew she wouldn't succumb to it, but it was a pleasant and relaxing feeling.

After a short while she became aware that Harry had stopped moving. When she looked up, he was standing a short distance away, close to the tree with Sarah now fast asleep in his arms. The tree lights reflected off the the rims of his glasses. He was barefoot, wearing his pinstriped pajamas and a Cannons sweatshirt; he was visibly exhausted and his hair was a complete mess, yet he looked happy and content. 

"What?" she asked, her cheeks flushed.

"Nothing. It's just--" 

"Just what?"

“You’re amazing, Gin.” 

She smiled. Truthfully she mostly felt fat, sloppy and tired, and her hair was in desperate need of washing. But the way he looked at her made all of that go away at least for a moment. Having his eyes on her was the equivalent of being bathed in warm rays of sunlight. For the first time in months, she felt beautiful. 

"I can't believe you did all this," Harry went on. 

"Did what?"

"The babies. You made our whole family." 

"I didn't do it alone," she said. 

"But all that you went through. It's just….Nothing I have ever done can compare to it." Tears filled his eyes, which seemed to swim in the reflected light from the tree.

"Harry, that's not true, you know it isn't. None of this would have even been possible if you hadn't defeated Voldemort. Our babies wouldn't be here. We might not even be here. I did this because I wanted to. I wanted to give you a family. That's all that matters." 

James began to cough, and Ginny took her attention away for a moment to tend to him. She was glad for the distraction, because it gave her some time to compose herself. She hated that Harry felt he didn't deserve all the good things he got in his life. The world was at peace because of him, and still he couldn't let himself completely enjoy it. 

"I want you to be happy," Ginny said finally, as she brought James to her shoulder and began to gently pat his back. Then she looked up, straight at Harry. She held his gaze and even though she could tell he was wavering, somehow she made him look at her. 

"Are you happy?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered without hesitation. His voice was strong. 

"Good. So am I," she replied. Harry crossed the room and kissed her.

* * * 

The first thing Ginny became aware of was the bright sunshine streaming into the bedroom window. She smiled vaguely, and thought about how it would be beautiful weather for flying; then she rolled onto her back and stretched her arms, yawning. The space next to her was empty, and when she put her hand on the mattress it was cold, meaning that Harry hadn't been to bed recently. 

The next thing she noticed was that the house was quiet. Very quiet. 

"Wait a minute." She sat up, heart pounding in her chest. When she looked at the clock, she saw that it was past eleven o'clock, which meant she'd been asleep for six hours. She hadn't slept for six hours straight since before the babies were born. 

"Harry!" she pushed aside the covers and found her robe. The front of her nightgown was damp; used to feeding the babies early in the morning, her breasts had lactated at some point in her sleep. So she paused to clean up, and changed into one of Harry's sweatshirts, then put on her robe and slippers. 

She hurried across the hall to check on the babies, but both cradles were empty. Rationally she knew nothing was wrong, because Harry would have woken her if there was anything to be concerned about. But still, she was nervous. Where were the babies? Why was it so quiet?

"Harry!" she called again, as she left the nursery, and headed down the stairs. 

She found Harry, along with her parents, and Ron and Hermione, all seated in the front room. Mum was cradling James with Dad looking on, while Ron was feeding Liam a bottle and Hermione cooed over Sarah while making conversation with Harry, who was settled in the armchair, cradling a mug of tea. A fire blazed in the fireplace, and Christmas music emanated from the Wireless. The house smelled of pine. 

"Ah! There she is," Arthur Weasley smiled, and got to his feet. 

"Hey, Gin. Have a good sleep?" Ron asked. 

"What…what's all this?" Ginny asked, looking at Harry. Without warning, tears filled her eyes. Harry smiled softly at her.

"Harry Floo'd us early this morning, and suggested that we bring the family celebration here, so you wouldn't have to miss it," Arthur said. He crossed the room and put his arms around Ginny, who sank into his shoulder and clung to him. 

"I love you dad," she murmured. 

"We love you too, pumpkin." 

"Now, how about presents?" Ron suggested. Next to him, Hermione sighed lightly and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Everyone laughed. 

"Well hey, it's the most important part of Christmas, isn't it?" Ron interjected. 

"Not really," Ginny murmured to herself, and she leaned close to her father as the two of them went to join the rest of the family.


	9. Don't Worry, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three months after the twins Ginny is more than ready for sex, but Harry seems reluctant.

She wasn't quite sure how or when it happened, but all of a sudden Ginny was randy as hell. For three months, it had been nothing but long nights consisting of feeding, walking, and changing babies. There had hardly been time for an adult conversation, let alone sex. But now, the babies were on a reasonably predictable sleep schedule, she'd lost a good portion of the baby weight and she felt great. Of course she was exhausted, but she was used to that now; she assumed that with twins she'd be exhausted for the next 17 years. But relatively speaking she was back to her old self.

Harry had just started going back to work, since it was recruiting time for the Auror Department and they needed all hands on deck. Ginny still hadn't decided whether or not she would go back to work, and what she would do if she did; but for now, she was enjoying her time at home. Eloise Midgen would be coming over for lunch that day, along with Hermione, to see the babies before leaving for her internship in Scotland the following week, although Ginny had a feeling Eloise was also going to try and talk up the Healer Training Program to get her to come back. Either way, Ginny was looking forward to seeing her old friend.

While lying in bed, Ginny watched Harry emerge from the loo after his morning shower; he was wrapped in nothing but a towel. His hair was uncombed, his skin glistened. He smiled when their eyes met. "Morning, love," he said. 

" 'morning," she smiled, and sat up to stretch. Her eyes continued to follow him as he retrieved his work clothes from the closet. There was a familiar stirring in her chest. Even after years off the Quidditch pitch, he still looked fantastic. Of course he got exercise doing Auror Training, but he hadn't lost that athletic physique.

As if feeling her eyes on him, Harry turned around. His cheeks were flushed, and he looked somewhat uncomfortable. "What is it?" 

"Nothing." 

Averting his eyes, Harry shed the towel and began to dress. As her gaze skimmed over his body, lingering on his firm buttocks, Ginny felt a pulsing sensation between her legs and instinctively put her hand there, slowly massaging it. 

"Harry," she said lightly. "Do you think they'd mind if you were a little late today?" 

"Why, are the babies all right?" 

"Oh, they're perfect. I just checked on them while you were in the shower. They're both still asleep." 

"Are you not feeling well?" he asked, brow furrowed.

 

"I feel fine." Ginny smiled, feeling her hips move involuntarily against the pressure of her hand.

Harry smiled vaguely, then resumed getting dressed. He pulled on his trousers, and fastened the belt, then reached for his shirt. Finally unable to stand it, Ginny pushed aside the covers and went to him. She nestled against his back and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his shoulder blade. 

"So stay home for awhile, keep me company," she said, her fingers slipping into the waistband of his trousers.

Harry tensed, and gently removed her hands. "Sorry, love, I can't." 

"But you're the boss. You can do what you want." 

"I wish I could, but really, it's incredibly busy at the office this week." Harry turned around, and planted a rather chaste kiss on her mouth. "I'll try to be home in the afternoon." 

"Well…all right, then." Ginny stepped out of the way, and watched him with a confused expression as he finished getting dressed. "Harry, is something wrong?" 

"No, of course not. I'm fine. Listen, I hate to rush off but I really need to get going. I'll get some breakfast at the Ministry. 'Bye, love. Kiss the babies for me, all right?" 

"Sure, okay. But--" 

"I'll see you later. I love you." He smiled, buttoned up his robe and grabbed his wand and satchel, then Apparated out of the room with a quick "pop". He hadn't even bothered to comb his hair. 

* * * 

After checking on the babies again, Ginny decided to take a quick shower before they woke up. She left the doors open between the loo and the nursery, and put the BabyScope monitor on the counter next to the shower. Then she pulled her nightgown over her head and stepped into the shower. She closed her eyes as the water cascaded over her body, and tilted her head back into the warm spray while spreading the water around her skin with her hands. 

She tweaked her nipples, which sprang to attention, and slowly massaged her breasts in a circular pattern, squeezing the nipples between her fingers. It had been so long since she'd felt Harry's hands on that part of her body; she imagined it was him smoothing his hands over her, caressing her skin. A low moan escaped her throat. Then her hands moved between her legs, massaging her swollen cunt. One finger slipped between the folds, and the moment she touched her clit, an audible gasp escaped her lips. 

Once again imagining it was Harry, she allowed her finger to penetrate deeper into her vagina, pressing against it, stroking it. She moved her hips forward and groaned as the warm, dizzying sensation poured over her. Her lips parted, and water fell into her mouth. 

"Oh god, Harry," she breathed. "Oh god…" 

She was close to the edge when she heard the unmistakable sound of James and Sarah beginning to wake up. She sighed, and brought herself quickly to climax before she shut off the water, and put on her robe then went to tend to the babies. 

 

* * * 

Hermione and Eloise arrived at lunchtime within a few minutes of each other. Eloise arrived first, with Hermione close behind. Hermione was in work robes, having come by straight from her office. Since going back to work, she'd been splitting her days with mornings at the office and afternoons at home. 

"I can't believe how great you look!" Eloise marveled, as she and Ginny shared a hug. "If I didn't know you, I'd never be able to guess that you had twins just three months ago." 

"Thanks," Ginny smiled. "You look great, too." 

"Thanks!" Eloise beamed. She did look great; she'd lost at least ten pounds since the last time Ginny had seen her, and she'd cut her dark blond hair in a short, flattering style. But perhaps the most remarkable change was that the last lingering effects of the acne that had plagued her for most of her adolescence had finally cleared.

As she marveled over her friend's transformation, it occurred to Ginny that she couldn't remember the last time Harry had complimented her. It hadn't bothered her before; she had been too busy and focused on the babies to notice much of anything else. But now as she thought about it and reflected on that morning's exchange, she realized that he hadn't said any more than a casual "I love you" since the babies were born. 

"So, where are they? I hope they're not asleep," Eloise said hopefully, as she set down her purse and slipped out of her jacket.

"Oh no, they're right over there," Ginny indicated the two bassinets next to the sofa, and smiled as Eloise promptly began to gush and fuss over the babies. 

"Wow, Ginny, they're gorgeous. James looks just like Harry, and Sarah looks just like you!"

"Yeah," Ginny answered, with a rush of pride. "Thanks." 

"Honestly James and Sarah are the two most even-tempered babies in the world. The two of them put together are quieter at three months than Liam ever was," Hermione said with a smile, as she unfastened her robes and hung them carefully on a hook by the door. Then she drifted over to Ginny's side, and squeezed her arm. 

"Are you okay?" she asked in a low voice. "You seem a bit quiet."

"Sure, I'm fine." 

Hermione cocked her head knowingly. "Come on, Ginny. What is it?"

Ginny made a gesture to indicate that she wasn't comfortable discussing it with Eloise there. Hermione nodded and patted her arm. "Later, then," she said. 

"So, let's have some lunch, and you can tell me about this great new job of yours," Ginny said brightly to Eloise. "I want to hear everything."

* * * * 

Once Eloise left just over an hour later, Hermione stayed behind under the pretense of helping Ginny clean up. Then the two of them sat in the living room with a cup of tea, each holding a baby; Ginny settled into the armchair to feed Sarah, while Hermione fed James breastmilk from a bottle. 

"Now tell me the truth, how are you?" Hermione said. She slipped off her shoes, and crossed her legs beneath her on the sofa while she cradled James, who was enthusiastically taking the milk.

Ginny sighed, and her eyes drifted down to her daughter comfortably nestled against her breast. The baby's hand was curled into a fist, gently bumping against Ginny's breast as she nursed. She looked so peaceful, without a care in the world; Ginny almost felt envious.

"Harry's bothering you for sex, isn't he?" 

"What?" Ginny looked up, surprised. 

"I remember that around this time, Ron started to get very antsy as well. I'd just started going back to work, I was completely exhausted and barely had enough energy to take care of myself and Liam. Needless to say, sex was the just about the last thing on my mind." 

"I wish that was the problem," Ginny said. She brushed a finger gently over Sarah's cheek.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's just the opposite. I want sex, and Harry won't bloody touch me. I've done just about everything short of announcing over the Wireless that I need a good shag, and he won't do anything other than kiss me. Not even a kiss; more like a peck, as if he's my ruddy uncle. When I put my arms around him, he gets tense and he makes up an excuse to move away from me. Just this morning I tried to get him to stay in a bit longer, and he blew out of here so fast he didn't even stop to look in at the babies like he always does before he leaves." 

"Well, have you asked him what's wrong?"

"Of course I have," Ginny snapped. Then sighed and looked at her friend apologetically. "I'm sorry, Hermione. It's just so damn frustrating. He keeps telling me he's fine, but he's obviously not, and he won't tell me anything else." 

Sarah pulled away from the breast, and Ginny paused to tend to her. She wiped the excess milk from around her daughter's mouth, covered her breast and then lifted the baby to her shoulder to pat her back. 

"Have you considered the idea that maybe he's afraid to initiate sex because of what might happen?" Hermione tilted her head to indicate James. 

"You mean he's afraid of getting me pregnant again? But that's what the Contraceptive Charms are for…wait a minute," she paused, and it hit her. She remembered the anxious look he'd worn on his face all through her labor, and the way he'd snapped at the Healer angrily when she'd told them Ginny wasn't ready for delivery. Then came the words she'd thought she'd heard him say, as she was suffering through the last stage of labor, when the contractions were at their worst.

I'm sorry.

"Oh Harry," she sighed. She didn't know whether to be relieved that it wasn't something health-related, or frustrated that he was blaming himself for what she'd been through. In typical Harry fashion, he was keeping it all to himself. She loved him so much, but sometimes he drove her mad.

"He simply needs to relax. Both of you do. Now listen, if you two want some time alone, just say the word and Ron and I will take the twins to your Mum's for a few hours. Now that she's got the daycare center up and running, she can't seem to have enough children around." Hermione chuckled, as she lifted James to her shoulder to burp him. "I'm sure that when I go to pick up Liam, she'll put up a fuss and ask me when I'm going back to work full time." 

"You know what, that sounds like a fantastic idea. Harry and I do need to talk." 

"Among other things, right?" Hermione winked, and the two of them smiled at each other. 

* * * * 

When Harry Apparated into the sitting room at four-thirty that afternoon, he seemed surprised to find Ginny there waiting for him; she'd taken another shower and changed into a blouse and skirt, and had taken the time to dab a few spots of his favorite flowery perfume on her wrists and neck. She'd combed out her hair and let it hang loose, the way he liked it. It was the most time she'd spent on her own appearance in months.

"Are the babies asleep?" he asked, setting down the satchel and shrugging off his robes. 

"No, they're at mum's. I thought we could use some time alone." She stood up. "I know what's going on. I wish you'd just told me about it." 

"What do you mean?" Harry's eyes skimmed over her, and his cheeks flushed. Even though she could see that he liked how she looked, he gave no other indication that her appearance was pleasing to him. When their eyes met, he smiled awkwardly then moved past her toward the kitchen. "Is there any Butterbeer?"

"Bloody hell Harry, stop it."

Harry stopped walking; his shoulders straightened and he went rigid. A second later, he turned around to look at her with an almost defeated expression on his face. As he walked toward her he loosened his tie, and unfastened the top two buttons of his shirt. 

"So that's it, isn't it?" Ginny said. "You're blaming yourself for getting me pregnant." 

"No, of course not. I wanted to have a family. I just—I couldn't stand to see you like that. You were unhappy, you hated the way you looked…then when you were in labor – honestly Gin, I hated myself for what you had to go through. What was worse, I couldn't help you because I didn't understand it at all." 

"But you did help me, Harry. I wouldn't have been able to get through it at all without you. Yes, my pregnancy was long and uncomfortable, and labor was very difficult. But none of that is your fault. I wish you would stop doing that, already. Not everything is your responsibility." She extended her hands toward him, and he took them. She drew him closer to her, and even though it was barely discernable she saw the expression on his face change when he caught the scent of her perfume. 

"You look beautiful," he said with a soft smile.

"Thank you." She smiled, and tears stung her eyes. "Now, we have about three and a half hours before mum and dad will be bringing the babies home. I say we put it to good use." 

Once again, to her disappointment, Harry went stiff and took a step back. 

"What?" Ginny said, unable to hide her frustration. "Dammit, Harry, I want us to be together the way we used to. I want you to take me upstairs and shag me until I can't see. But you flinch every time I put my arms around you, and you take my hands away when I try to touch you." 

"It's just…I can't." 

"You can't what? Are you having trouble with--?" her eyes flickered down between his legs. "Because if you are, we'll get help. It's perfectly fine…"

"No," Harry said, defensively. 

"There's nothing wrong with you. It happens." 

"Ginny, I don't need to see a Healer to help me get a bloody erection. It's just that every time I even think about shagging you - which I do, believe me -- I remember everything you had to go through with the babies and I just can't. So I…well, I do it myself. That's how I spend my time in those long showers, I'm getting myself off."

Despite herself, Ginny had to smile at this. "I see," she said, biting her lower lip. 

"What's funny?" he demanded, his cheeks flushed crimson. 

"Nothing. Of course it's not funny, it's just that I do the same thing. Only I've been doing it because I thought you didn't find me attractive anymore. That having the babies had made me different to you, something not sexual."

"Oh my god, Gin. You, not sexual? That's impossible." 

Ginny smiled, and guided his arms around her waist. He took the hint, and clasped his hands at the small of her back and held her close to him. "Now, that's more like it," she said, and put her arms around his neck. She pressed her hips against his, and even though he hesitated for a moment, it wasn't long before she felt him shift inside his trousers. Without taking her eyes off him, she traced her fingers around the waistband of his trousers, then began to unfasten the belt. Harry's throat moved as he swallowed, and for an instant she thought he might take her hands away, but he didn't, and she then undid the button and the zipper, and untucked his shirt. 

"It's been a very long time," she said, and stood up on the balls of her feet to kiss him. She flicked her tongue over his teeth. "I've missed you." 

Harry responded by pulling her roughly against him, deepening the kiss. His hands traced down the curve of her back, over her buttocks, and slipped up under her skirt. The moment his fingers touched her bare skin, he was hard as a rock against her thigh. 

"So you want to?" she whispered, nicking his earlobe. He growled, and squeezed her buttocks, lifting her up against him. Her breasts were now straining against the fabric of her shirt. 

"Do I want to what?" 

She smiled. They hadn't played this game in a very very long time. "Do you want to fuck me?"

Harry laughed; it was a beautiful, deep and sexy laugh that came from very low in his throat. "You have no idea how bloody much I want to fuck you," he said. 

"Do you want to fuck me all night?" 

"I want to fuck you for the rest of your life." He pulled away the collar of her shirt and nestled into her neck, sucking her skin. 

"What if I said that the babies aren't coming home tonight? That mum and dad are keeping them until tomorrow." 

"I'd say what in hell are we still doing in an upright position?"

She giggled. "All right then, let's hit the sofa." 

"Who needs the sofa? Let's go to the kitchen table. I've always wondered what it would feel like to have sex on that thing." Without waiting for her response, Harry immediately pulled her shirt over her head while the two of them backed through the sitting room toward the kitchen. By the time they reached the table, she wore no shirt, bra, or panties, and he had no trousers. 

"You realize that my parents gave us this table for our wedding," Ginny said, as she hopped up on the table. She spread her legs and flipped up her skirt. "I may never be able to eat on it again." 

"So we'll get another one." Harry grinned at her through his tousled bangs. He put his hands on her knees, and began to stroke her legs. She purred at the feeling of his hands moving slowly over her inner thighs. She was deliciously wet, and at the moment it was the most fantastic feeling in the world.

"Wait," she said suddenly. Harry looked up, startled, but his face eased into a smile when he recognized the familiar Contraceptive Charm incantation coming from her mouth. She did it twice to be safe, then she inched closer to the edge of the table and reached for his swollen cock. It had been months since she'd held it in her hands, and her fingers literally trembled like it was the very first time.

But he moved her hands away. She felt a pang of disappointment, and was about to protest when she saw him kneeling down. His hands pushed her legs apart even further. 

"Oh my god." She was so happy, that tears brimmed in her eyes. 

"We've got all night, we might as well take our time," Harry said with a grin. Then his head disappeared between her legs. She pulled the hem of her skirt up to her waist and arched her neck back. She pushed her hips forward to give him better access. Her hands moved up to the mounds of her breasts, and she pressed them firmly against her skin, massaging her nipples. As she felt the exquisite sensation of his tongue flicking against her clit, she moaned, and started to massage her breasts even harder. He parted her folds with his fingers, then slipped his tongue in all the way, stroking and tickling her while his lips sucked at her skin and drew all the blood straight to her clit. Before long she was swollen almost to the point of bursting.

"Holy shit," she breathed, then laughed. "Holy fucking shit. I'd forgotten how great that feels. Oh god…don't stop…" She threw her head back, her hair nearly touching the top of the table. 

But he did stop, just as she was about to climax – before she could say anything, his tongue was replaced with his cock and he was on top of her, the two of them flat on the kitchen table. She curled her legs around his buttocks, and squeezed tight to hold him inside her until she climaxed and came all over him and the table. 

"Aaarrrrgh…ooh…" he moaned ecstatically, still slipping in and out of her. He bent his head to her chest, and took the top of her right breast in his mouth. His tongue drew circles around her nipple, which elicited sharp yelps of pleasure.

"Wait," she breathed. "Bring it here." 

"What?" 

"It's your turn," she said, with a mischievous grin. "Come here." 

"Oh, you dirty witch." 

Harry repositioned himself so that his head was above her crotch, and his cock, still hard as a rock, was hanging over her mouth. Her hands shaking, she took hold of it, then raised her head just enough to flick the head of his cock with her tongue. He was so hard that he was dripping on her; his come fell on her chest. Meanwhile, he braced himself with his arms and lowered his head into her legs, tickling the tip of her clit with his tongue. She was still slick from the first time she'd come, and he sucked on it willingly, as if it were his favorite drink in the world. 

Meanwhile she licked his shaft, and felt the delicious thrill of the tremor that passed through his body. 

"Fuck. Oh Gin…FUCK!" 

Then she took it in her mouth completely, sucking and licking while her own hips bucked in response to the feeling of his mouth on her. She felt his cock get bigger in her mouth; he was groaning, straining against her, urging her to go farther. He was about to burst, so she slipped him out of her mouth and let him explode all over her chest and her stomach.

"Fuck, I need a shower," she said, as sweat dripped down the side of her face. Down by her legs, her crotch vibrated as Harry laughed against her. 

"And a new table," he quipped, then lifted his head and looked at her through his arms. 

“Well, now I don’t know. I mean my parents did give it to us…” 

“Gin, do you really want to have breakfast with our children at this table after this display?” Harry got up and laid alongside her. He raised his eyebrows. She giggled, and he kissed her. 

“But seriously, I do need a shower,” she said, stroking his cheek. “You want to join me?”

Harry fondled her breast and smirked. “You have to ask?”

* * * 

An hour later, they were nestled in each other’s arms in bed; their skin was still damp from the shower. The sun was setting outside, casting a soft orange-pink glow across the floor. Ginny rested her head on Harry’s chest, and lazily stroked him with her fingertips. “I’ve missed you,” she said quietly. 

“Me too,” Harry murmured, his fingers playing through her hair. 

“So, do you suppose you could take tomorrow off work then?” She propped her chin on her hand and looked into his eyes. It took him a moment to focus since he wasn’t wearing his glasses, but then he smiled. 

“Well, we have been really busy…” 

“I’ll make it worth your while.” She smiled, and judging by the soft expression on his face she had won him over. But before she could enjoy it, a quite different feeling came over her. It was an ache, starting deep in her chest; something wasn’t right. 

“Harry?”

He kissed her, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “You want to Floo your mum and get the babies?”

“How did you know?”

“Because I miss them, too. I can’t help it. I just love being a dad.” He smiled, and his cheeks flushed.

“And I love you being a dad.” Ginny leaned forward and kissed him. “Now, let’s get dressed and get our babies back.”


	10. Changing Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry receives an unexpected offer that causes him to contemplate a career change. Meanwhile, Ginny comes to an important realization about her own future.

Ginny woke up to the feeling of something tickling her. Annoyed, she swatted it away, and rolled over onto her side. But the tickling continued. Then it turned into something familiar, something she liked; the feathery touch of warm lips on her skin. 

“Wake up, Sleepyhead.” Harry was hovering over her, and he smiled when he saw her eyes open. Lightly he traced his fingers down the side of her face, and cupped her chin. 

“Hi,” she smiled, sinking farther into the pillows. “What time is it?”

“Time for you to get up, so we can celebrate.” 

“Celebrate?” She raised herself up on her elbows. “What are we celebrating, exactly?”

“Does it have to be an occasion, can’t I just want to celebrate being with you?”

Ginny raised her eyebrows and cocked her head. “What’s going on? What did you do – wait, you didn’t go ahead and buy that ridiculous new Wireless system did you?”

Harry rifled his fingers through her rumpled hair. “No, love. No new Wireless systems, no new anything. I just thought it was time for us to get away and have a weekend to ourselves.” 

“Mmm, well I do like that idea. What about the--” 

“Your mum’s coming to stay at the house with the twins. In fact, she’ll be here in just about an hour.” 

“An hour? You don’t leave me much time, do you?” 

Harry smirked. “What can I say, I’m anxious to be alone with you.” He bent to kiss her, his lips at first flirting lightly, his tongue flicking her teeth. Then he deepened the kiss, and fell on top of her. For a long moment Ginny was aware of nothing but the warmth of his breath on her face and his hands on her body. Even though the babies were now sleeping almost all the way through the night, she and Harry still had so few quiet moments together. 

“Where are we going?” she asked, as his lips fell to her neck.

“Not telling.” 

She nudged him. “Come on, Harry…” 

“Sorry, Gin. It’s a surprise.” 

Then came the unmistakable sound of awakening babies across the hall. The moment broken, Harry pried himself away and got up to look in on them. Just before getting out of bed Ginny paused to watch him go, clad only in his pinstriped pajama bottoms which were hanging perilously on his waist. She felt a quiver of anticipation. How did she get so bloody lucky? 

* * * 

Only when they were on the train did Harry reveal that he’d booked them for a weekend at a small inn in Weymouth, Dorset. He showed her the brochure, which depicted a two-story English cottage nestled in the hills and overlooking the ocean. There were paths on which they could take long, private walks; and the rooms were small but very cozy with their own fireplace, and a canopy bed. 

“This looks fantastic,” Ginny remarked excitedly, as she leafed through the three-page brochure. She leaned against Harry’s shoulder, and his arm curled around her shoulders. 

“Best of all, there will be no one to bother us,” he said. “I specifically asked for no interruptions of any kind--” 

“But what if something happens with the babies, we’ll need--”

Harry quieted her with a kiss. “Except for anything that has to do with James and Sarah,” he finished. “Only your mum and dad have the Floo address.” 

“You think of everything, don’t you?” 

“When it comes to you, yes.” Harry’s cheeks flushed and he smiled. “So, are you happy?”

“Ecstatic,” she answered, and he kissed her again. “Now how about telling me why we’re going on this special trip? I know you, Harry. There’s a reason.”

Harry shifted in his seat, averted his eyes for a moment, then fixed his gaze on her. The faintest hint of a smile crossed his lips. “Well, yeah, there is a reason.” 

“Which is?”

“I was hoping to wait until we were actually at the inn, but I suppose now is as good a time as any. I received an Owl two days ago at the office, from the recruiter for the Chudley Cannons. We met for lunch yesterday, and they’re making another offer. While I haven’t definitely said ‘yes’, I’d really like to do it. But I wanted to run it by you first.” 

Ginny hadn’t seen such boyish excitement in his eyes since Hogwarts. He looked the way he did whenever he was out on the pitch, the wind in his hair, the Snitch hovering just out of reach. “Oh Harry,” she sighed, with a smile.

“Well, you know since the twins I’ve been thinking I’d like to do something a little less risky.”

“Since when is Quidditch less risky?” Ginny teased, and nudged him. 

“Yeah, but well…you know what I mean. So, what do you think?”

“I think it’s terrific.” Ginny’s heart fluttered in her chest. She was so happy for her husband that she felt like she would quite literally burst. Yet at the same time, a strange loneliness came over her. She rested her head against Harry’s shoulder and let him hug her, while she closed her eyes and thought of their babies back home at the cottage, undoubtedly being fussed over and spoiled by Mum at that very moment. She missed them already, even though they had only been gone for two hours.

Then she relived the conversation she and Harry had had months earlier about her future, and what she wanted to do after the babies were born. He’d said to do whatever made her happy, not worry about anything else. But she was worried. She was worried that she would never find that one thing she truly loved to do. She’d liked being a Healer, with the challenge of learning new spells and enchantments, and the closeness of working with patients. But she hadn’t loved it; she doubted she could ever love any occupation as much as Harry loved Quidditch. She loved to fly; she craved the opportunity to be up in the air, and she couldn’t wait until her children learned so they could fly together. But she didn’t love it enough to devote her life to it.

“Are you all right?” Harry asked, after several minutes of nothing but the clicking of the train wheels and the jostling of the carriage. 

She glanced up at him and put on her best smile. “Yes, I’m fine.” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this straight off, but I wanted to see what it was about before I said anything. I won’t do it, if you don’t think it’s the right decision.” 

“Harry, the last thing I would ever do is tell you that you couldn’t do something you loved. Of course I think it’s the right decision. You should do it.” 

“Gin…” his brow was furrowed as he looked at her. 

“We’re going to have a wonderful weekend together, let’s not talk any more,” she said brightly. “It’s decided, you’re going to join the Cannons, and I think it’s bloody fantastic. You’re going to be the best Seeker they’ve ever had.” 

“Gin.” Harry said this gently, but firmly. “What’s wrong?”

Ginny steeled herself. “Absolutely nothing,” she said decisively. “I’m fine.” 

Before Harry could object, the announcement came over the wireless that they were approaching Dorset, and Ginny distracted him by going on about what they would do at the inn. Although she could see he didn’t quite buy her cheerful nature, he went along with it and gradually talk of Quidditch was forgotten, at least for the time being.

It started pouring rain moments after they reached the inn; while the skies had been gray all morning, the sun had peeked through on more than one occasion to give them hope of at least having an afternoon walk on the beach after lunch. But instead they contented themselves by having lunch brought up to their private room on the second floor, which had a lovely view of the cliffs and the ocean – albeit presently obstructed by fog and rain. 

"This isn't really what I had in mind for the weekend," Harry commented with a frown, as he peeked out the window. 

"Well you can't control the weather," Ginny remarked, and took his hand to lead him away from the window to the small round table set for two. "Now, come on let's eat. The food looks fantastic, and I'm starving." 

They sat down at the table, which was laid with bowls of vegetable soup, warm buttered bread, salad, and strawberry tarts for dessert. In the middle of the table was a bottle of sparkling pumpkin juice, along with two glasses.

"It does look delicious," Harry admitted, as he sat across from her. But before they started eating, Ginny reached across the table and took his hand. 

"Thanks for this," she said. "It's wonderful, I love it. We just don't have enough time alone together any more." 

Harry's cheeks flushed, and he smiled. "I wish it wasn't raining, though; it kind of puts a damper on my plans. No pun intended," he added sheepishly.

"So, we'll improvise." Ginny massaged his fingers, and raised an eyebrow suggestively. 

"Well, you've certainly got a wicked mind today."

"And you're complaining, why, exactly?" 

"Who's complaining?" Harry smirked. 

They finished lunch, and then after making a quick Floo-check on the babies – who were napping peacefully according to Mum – they fell leisurely into bed. Perhaps lulled by the rain and the warmth of the fire in the fireplace, their lovemaking was unhurried. Harry's hands moved over her body almost reverently, his lips replacing his fingers at almost every place he touched. He entered her slowly, and she wrapped her legs around him to keep him close. Then they fell lazily into each other's arms and drifted off to sleep, with Harry's fingers playing through Ginny's hair. 

It was dark when Ginny awoke; the fire had begun to dwindle, but she was too comfortable in Harry's arms to think of getting up to reignite it with the Inflamare Charm. From the sound of his slow, rhythmic breathing Harry was still asleep, so she nestled closer against his chest. Outside it was still raining, although not quite as heavily. 

Her mind went right to the babies. She wondered what they were doing; even though she knew they were all right – her instincts would alert her if there was anything wrong even if her Mum didn't -- she couldn't help but want to rush home and cuddle them. They'd just reached the stage where they recognized her when she came to feed them – the little smiles on their faces, and their happy kicks and squeals brought her indescribable joy. She loved the way they felt resting against her, and the sensation of their eager mouths taking milk from her breasts. It was the first time she'd been away from them for more than a few hours. To ease the ache in her chest she kissed Harry's neck, and let her fingers drift lazily over his stomach. 

What did she love to do, she wondered. What would make her happy for the rest of her life? She thought of Hermione, moving up the ranks at the Ministry, and Ron thriving as a coach for a minor league Quidditch team. Neville and Luna were running their own nursery; Luna also worked part time for the Quibbler, having taken over editorial duties for her father when he retired. Dad would be retiring soon, and of course Mum had the daycare center which was booming. Eloise Midgen owled her periodically from Scotland, to tell her how wonderful the Healer program was, and that she'd been promoted to Head Resident Healer after only a few weeks. 

Harry shifted next to her, his warm breath flowing over her forehead. She glanced up at him, and saw a quiet, satisfied smile on his lips. Undoubtedly dreaming of Quidditch, she thought. He'd been happy heading up the Auror Department at the Ministry, because it made him feel useful; all of the trainees looked up to him, and he was the youngest Head Auror in the department's history. He'd brought in the largest recruiting classes on record in the few years he'd been there. He could have had his pick of any professional Quidditch team, all of whom had been clamoring to add his name to their roster, yet he'd chosen the more 'responsible' route. Now, finally, he would be doing something he truly loved, and perhaps most importantly he would be doing it completely for himself. 

Then Harry's voice permeated her thoughts; it was warm and husky from sleep. "What are you thinking about?" he asked. 

She looked up. "Everything," she answered simply. "Us, the babies, our future." 

"Wow, that's a lot to take on." Harry smiled.

"It's just that you've got your future planned out – now that you're going to be playing Quidditch, which is what you love. Everyone we know has their future planned out. I think it's fantastic, really, it's just that I still don't know what it is I want to do. I thought I wanted to be a Healer, but now I'm not really sure." 

"What's the rush to decide? I thought you were happy staying home and just being a mum." 

"I am," she answered eagerly. "I was just thinking about the babies, in fact – the way they smile at us now when they see us, and how they've started to make sounds, and have their own personalities…but I feel like I should be doing more." 

"Why? I'd say that what you're doing is pretty important."

"It is. It's just…oh, I don't know what I want to say." 

"Is it that you think there's something wrong with staying home and just being a mum? I'm not saying that to be spiteful," he added when he saw the shocked expression on her face. "But you've always said that you could never do 'what Mum does'. That you had to be out and about, doing things, being active. Perhaps that's not the case now, and you're worried that people won't like it because you think it's not in your nature to stay home." 

Ginny had never been particularly concerned with what people thought of her; she'd prided herself on being self-sufficient, making her own decisions, and taking her own path. But she had to admit he had a point.

"Why does there have to be something else?" Harry went on. "You've got your whole life in front of you, Gin. You don't have to decide your future right now. If you want to stay home and be a mum for awhile, then do it. Do what makes you happy. When the right thing comes along, you'll know." 

She smiled. "Oh, I ruddy hate it when you're right," she said, then tilted her head up to kiss him. He caught her face in his hands and pulled her close, his lips swallowing hers. "I love you," she murmured into his mouth, as he eased his body on top of her. He was noticeably hard against her leg.

"Mmm, I love you," he answered, his lips falling to her chest. She parted her legs, and he entered her.

* * * 

The next morning when they returned to the inn after a leisurely walk on the shore, there was an owl waiting at the front desk bearing a message for them from Mum. 

"I hope nothing's happened," Harry murmured worriedly, and broke the seal immediately. With Ginny leaning in near his shoulder the two of them read the note. 

"Hello loves, 

Don't worry, nothing is wrong. The babies are fine. In fact they're just glorious. I debated whether to say anything at all until you came home tomorrow. But something amazing has happened. I went to fetch the babies in the nursery this morning, and found their mobiles moving about. I didn't think anything of it at first but then realized that of course they couldn't have been running all night. When I stopped the mobiles, the babies put up a little bit of a fuss, kicking their blankets and babbling. Then immediately the mobiles began to turn again – they're doing it on their own power! It's absolutely remarkable! 

I hope you are enjoying your time alone, will see you when you get back. The babies send their love, too. I will give them each a big hug and a kiss from you both.

~Mum"

"Bloody hell, did I read that correctly?" Harry asked, as he and Ginny exchanged amazed glances. 

"Well one of us must have, because I think Mum just said that the twins have started using magic."

"But they're six months old…that's not possible. Usually magical ability doesn't show up for at least a year or more." 

"Apparently it is possible." Ginny leaned closer and kissed him. "You want to go home and see them?"

Harry beamed. "You read my mind. Let's go."


	11. Happy Birthday, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny grants Harry three very naughty wishes on his birthday.

"Good morning, Birthday Boy," Ginny purred in Harry's ear early that morning, then kissed his cheek. Harry's eyes fluttered, then opened and locked on her face. He smiled. 

"What time is it?"

"It's early. But I wanted to give you your present. Well, three of them actually." 

"Three? Well, what did I do to deserve that – or is it one each from you, and the twins?"

Ginny's face flushed. "Erm, not exactly. But you'll understand, when I give them to you."

"All right then, I'm ready." Harry sat up agreeably. He looked confused when Ginny handed him a piece of parchment and a quill. "What's this about?"

"I'm going to hop in the shower. While I'm gone, I'd like you to write down your three favorite places." 

"Huh? What is this, like a homework assignment?"

Ginny smiled mysteriously. "Just do it," she said. "Believe me, you'll be glad you did." 

"My three favorite places, anywhere in the world?"

"Anywhere. You can be as specific as you want." 

"It might help if I knew what I was getting out of this." Harry raised an eyebrow, and grabbed at her waist with his fingers, threatening to tickle her. She squealed, and pulled away. 

"Not telling. Just do your homework, Mr. Potter. I'll be back in fifteen minutes." 

"Hey, where are the twins?"

"Staying with Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron for the day. They came by to get them before you woke up. We've got the whole day." Ginny said over her shoulder. She blew him a kiss just before closing the door to the loo. Utterly confused but still intrigued, Harry looked down at the blank piece of parchment. After a moment of thought, he began to write.

* * * 

Once she'd showered and dressed, Ginny returned to the bed, where Harry still sat reviewing his list.

"All right, let's see what we've chosen," Ginny said, lifting the parchment from his fingers. Her eyes skimmed the list and she smiled, sneaking little approving glances in Harry's direction. "Very nice." 

"Great. Now can I find out what they mean?"

"Well, I'm kind of enjoying keeping you in suspense," Ginny said coyly, fingering the corner of the parchment.

Harry sighed. "Come on, Gin. It's killing me." 

"I know, that's the best part," she snickered, and stepped gingerly out of the way when he lunged across the mattress at her. 

"You know I'll get it out of you one way or another," Harry said with a smirk, wiggling his fingers in her direction. 

"All right, then. What would you say, if I told you…" She eased back onto the mattress, and perched herself on the edge.

"Told me what?" 

"That I'm going to take you to each one of these places and then let you do unspeakable things to me." 

"Hmm, I rather like 'unspeakable'." 

"I thought you would." Ginny leaned over and teased him with a light, flirtatious kiss. 

"So, we're off to have wicked sex in my favorite places on earth. Sounds like a bloody fantastic present. When do we leave?" 

"I was thinking we'd have breakfast first, you know…to build up our energy. Since I don't think we're going to have much time to eat over for the rest of the day." 

"Blimey." Harry's cheeks went crimson. 

"Harry, love, you have no idea what's coming." 

"Actually, Gin, I think it's you who has no idea." 

"We'll just see about that. Now get dressed, and meet me downstairs for breakfast. I have to get a few things together." 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

I. The Locker Room

 

"Since you weren't specific as to which Quidditch arena you wanted, I took the liberty of choosing one," Ginny remarked. "Now, open your eyes." 

"Holy—it's the bloody Cannons…" Harry stared up at the bleachers, and at the orange banners fluttering in the wind. Then he looked at her with a playful smile.

"Well you'll be spending a lot of time here next season, so I thought we could do a little….tour." Ginny arched an eyebrow at him. 

Harry swallowed, and Ginny's eyes drifted to his legs, where she was pleased to see his erection was well on its way to fruition. Then he looked at her, and a devilish smile played across his lips. 

"You are fantastic," he said, and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her against him. "Not to mention so bloody hot." 

"Glad you approve." She rifled her fingers through his hair. "Now, I was thinking we'd start in the locker room." 

"Well if I'm dreaming, do me a favor, and don't pinch me." 

Once in the locker room, Ginny performed a series of locking charms on the doors and cloaking charms on the windows. Then, to his frustration, she disappeared behind the wall of lockers. "Just wait there," she said, indicating a bench nearby.

When she emerged a few minutes later, she was attired in full Quidditch gear. Harry's face fell. "How are we supposed to shag when you're wearing all that?" he said.

"Well of course I can't wear all this, Harry. You're going to have to wait until I get undressed." 

"Bloody hell, Gin--"

She put a finger to her mouth, and giggled. Then she turned around so her back was to him; he just about came in his pants when he saw his name and team number emblazoned on the back of her cape.

"Shit. How did you get that?" 

She peeked at him over her shoulder, and winked. "Never mind. Oh, and feel free to get undressed yourself. I'm not about to shag you through your clothes, either." 

With her captive audience, Ginny began to work the top button on the cape; she thrust her upper body forward as she let the cape slip off her shoulders; then, making sure Harry had a clear view of the top of her cleavage beneath her shirt – judging by the way he was working to unfasten his belt and unzip his trousers, he had a very clear view – she bent forward to remove the boots, which she slipped off and tossed to the side into the showers. Then she untucked the shirt and slowly began to work the buttons – watching with a sly smile as Harry’s bulging erection peeked out the opening in his trousers. With every bit of flesh that came into view, he took a little more of himself out; by the time she had removed the blouse, beneath which she wore nothing, he had his cock in his hands, straining not to pounce on her. 

“Crikey…” he groaned, his eyes focused completely on her pert breasts and erect nipples. “Oh Crikey.” 

“Now, I don’t know who Crikey is, but he certainly can’t help you now,” she said with a little smile, as her fingers slid down inside the waist of the Quidditch pants. She found her warm center and slowly began to massage it, emitting sharp yelps of pleasure every time she hit just the right spot. 

“Oh blimey, Gin…” 

She threw her head back, and moaned, thrusting her breasts forward. While massaging her clit with one hand, she smoothed her other hand across her breasts, pinching her nipples. She was so close, she knew that within sixty seconds, she would come all over the inside of the pants. “So,” she breathed, leaning forward and looking at him through the curtain of her thick red hair, “Do you want to?” 

“Do I want to what?” Despite his obvious discomfort, Harry managed a crooked smirk as he lazily began to stroke himself. He stood up, his jeans now hanging below his knees. His erection was sticking straight out, his cock throbbing. 

“Do you want to fuck me right here on the floor, on the cape you’ll be wearing for Opening Day?” 

“Hell yes.” Harry licked his lower lip, continuing to stroke himself. “I want to fuck you six ways from Sunday.” 

She slowly started to push the trousers down over her hips, and backed against the wall of lockers. “Then what are you waiting for?” she breathed, pushing the trousers down just below the top of her cunt. The instant he saw the flash of red hair between her legs, Harry was across the room and had her pinned against the lockers. He thrust his cock right up against her, teasing her entrance. She leaned forward, into the tip of him; a low growl emanated from deep in her throat. 

“Bloody hell, how did I get so lucky?” Harry murmured, his breath hot against her neck. 

“Luck has nothing to do with it, Potter.” 

Then he forced the trousers all the way down, and jammed himself between her legs so hard that she hit her head on the metal lockers. “Are you all right?” he breathed, even as he began to knead the soft mounds of her breasts with his fingers, pressing against her in time with each thrust. 

“I’ve never been better.” She smirked, and then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and guided him down onto the floor where he settled on top of her and slid easily into her wet center, riding her hard until they both came all over the cape that was spread out beneath them. 

“Fuck…” Harry groaned as he fell against her. “You suppose I’ll get in trouble for having sex on my official uniform?”

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them,” Ginny murmured, with an air of satisfaction. “So, how are you liking your birthday so far?”

Harry chuckled, peeling locks of hair off her face. “All I can say is I can’t bloody wait for the next stop.” 

"The next stop? We're not done with this one yet. Unless you want to go--" 

"Bite your tongue." Harry cut her off with a deep, lingering kiss. 

 

* * * * * * * *

II. The Lake

 

"You know, I don't think I've ever been here when it's so peaceful," Harry remarked, as they apparated onto the grounds of Hogwarts a few hours later. They were near the grove of trees by the lake; spires of the castle rose behind them, dark and quiet for the time being – in a few weeks they would be overrun with students. The sky was dotted with clouds, but interspersed were brilliant rays of sunlight that reflected off the water with an almost ethereal glow. The lake lapped against the shore, and a light wind rustled the trees. 

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Ginny sighed, leaning against him. "I don't think we ever appreciated it as much when we were students." 

"Mmm. Well, I'd like to start appreciating it now." Harry nuzzled her neck.

"Come on, let's enjoy the view for a few minutes," Ginny said, and nudged him with her elbow.

"Oh, I'm enjoying the view." 

She looked up and found him gazing intently at her. His eyes skimmed over her face, taking her in slowly as if he was getting to know her all over again. She smiled. "Sweet talker," she said quietly. Then she took him by the hand and led him toward the grove of trees. A blanket had been laid out beneath one tree in particular, on which was carved a heart with their names in the middle of it. 

"Our tree." He smiled. "I always thought that this would be the place where we first--" he trailed off, his cheeks slightly flushed. 

"So did I. But I'd say that where we ended up doing it was just fine." 

"Oh, it was more than fine." Harry gathered her into his arms, but she moved away. 

"Hang on, I've got one more thing to do," she said, smiling at his disappointed expression. "Don't worry, I'll be right back. Just sit down on the blanket and make yourself comfortable." 

"Where are you going?" his voice followed her as she slipped behind a clump of trees. She quivered with excitement as she quickly changed out of her street clothes and into the outfit she had brought along with her; it had taken some doing, and a little stomach contorting, but she managed to squeeze herself into the regulation gray pleated skirt, white button-up oxford and sweater vest. Even though she'd had the skirt taken out a bit, it was still very snug. Then she pulled her hair back in barretts the way she'd worn it at school, and slipped on her knee-high white socks and black loafers. 

She peeked out from behind the tree and saw Harry standing at the water's edge, hands jammed in the pockets of his jeans. He was gazing out at the water, seemingly lost in thought. He looked so peaceful, that she almost didn't want to disturb him. But when she moved to slip back out of sight, a twig cracked under her foot and Harry's shoulders instinctively went rigid. He turned around, about to say something, until he saw her and his jaw dropped. 

"What do you think? Looks pretty good considering I've had two kids." 

"Bloody hell," he breathed. "That's fantastic. But hang on, how did you know we'd be coming here?"

"Harry, you know I love you, but you're very predictable." Ginny winked, then flipped the skirt up just enough for him to notice that she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. 

Harry's cheeks went crimson, and his fingers went immediately to the top button of his jeans. "Yeah, well you like predictable, don't you?" 

"Are you kidding? Predictable makes me bloody hot." Ginny backed up against the tree, resting the back of her head flush against the heart carving. With Harry's eyes locked on her like lasers, she took the bottom of the sweater vest and pulled it over her head. The white shirt was tight against her filled out figure, and her unrestrained breasts pushed so hard at the buttons that they were close to popping off. Harry started forward as if to lunge at her, but she held up her hand. 

"Wait," she said. 

"Wait?" Harry looked at her as if she'd just told him she was a shapeshifter. Meanwhile he'd unzipped his jeans, which hung open around his waist. 

"Yes. Wait, Potter, or I'll take fifty points from Gryffindor for your lack of patience." She winked at him, and slowly began to unfasten the buttons. Before long the shirt opened, and she glided her fingers up her stomach, between her breasts to her throat. Then she pulled the shirt down off her shoulders, and let it drop onto the grass. She smiled seductively, and felt herself growing increasingly wet at the look of longing on Harry's face.

"Do you want to?" 

He smirked. "Do I want to what?" 

"Do you want to fuck me, 'arry?" she trilled, laying on an almost perfect French accent. 

By now, Harry had spilled out of his jeans completely and had a full-on erection, his cock swollen and throbbing. "More than you could possibly know," he said. 

She slid down the trunk of the tree, widening her legs. The skirt bunched up at her waist, affording him a clear view of her wet cunt. She began to probe herself with the fingers of her right hand, eliciting soft throaty moans while grinding her hips against the pressure of her fingers. 

"Fuck." Harry was going mad, virtually chomping at the bit to get his hands on her. 

"That's the idea," Ginny said with a smile, then lifted her right hand out of her, and beckoned to him. 

He fell on her like he was a starving animal and she was a piece of meat. He pushed her down onto the blanket and frantically sucked her breasts, teasing her nipples with his tongue as his cock moved in and out of her at a rapid-fire pace. Before long they came together, each of them moaning, then laughing as he fell against her; their bodies were lined with perspiration. 

"If only school could have been like this all the time," he said, breathing heavily. 

"You never would have gotten anything done." 

"That's the ruddy point, isn't it?" He smiled. "So where are we off to next?"

"What's your hurry? We've still got the rest of the day. I was thinking maybe we'd take a swim first." She eyed the lake, then raised her eyebrows suggestively. 

"We won't exactly be alone in there." 

"Come on, the Merpeople are way too deep to be bothered by a little splashing." Ginny jumped up, then shimmied out of her skirt, shoes and socks. "And the Giant Squid isn't here any more." 

A look of vague sadness crossed Harry's face, which happened any time he was reminded of what had been lost in the war. The fact that he was sad about the absence of a giant tentacled monster in the lake was a true testament to his compassion, Ginny thought. She loved him so much at that moment she thought her heart would explode.

She knelt down and took his hands. "I'm sorry," she said, and kissed him. "We don't have to. We can just lie here together for awhile, if you want." 

"Yeah, that would be nice." Harry gathered her into his arms, but instead of lying back, he picked her up and started walking toward the water's edge. "You know what, though, I think I'd prefer a swim after all." 

"Harry…don't you dare!" 

He winked at her, then a second later she was in the air and landed in the water. The coolness felt wonderful against her skin, and she ducked her head under for a moment. When she broke the surface Harry was still standing at the water's edge, completely naked, with a boyish grin on his face. 

"I'm going to kill you, Potter. Now get in here with me." 

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to say the magic words." 

She glided forward, closer to the shoreline and stood up with the water at her waist. "Get your ruddy arse in here now or I'll never let you lay a hand on me again." She smirked.

"Good enough." Harry waded into the water, then dove beneath the surface. When he came up, he was standing right in front of her. Ginny leaned into him and he slipped his arms around her back. For a long time they simply stood there holding each other, and listened to the sounds of the lake. 

"I love you," she murmured, kissing his chest. "I love our life together, our babies, our home, everything…Oh, and the sex isn't bad, either," she quipped, and grabbed him between the legs. 

Harry jumped. "Hey! I'll get you for that one." 

"Turnabout is fair play." She giggled, then dove under water and swam toward the shore.

 

* * * * * * * * *

III.

The Burrow

 

The sun was setting below the horizon when they Apparated onto the front stoop of the Burrow. The windows were dark, and other than the sounds of the animals in the yard, it was quiet; the Weasleys had gone to see Bill and Fleur in France. 

"I still can't believe we're doing this," Harry remarked. He cast a look up the angled slope of the house. 

Ginny took his arm, and steered him toward the door. "I love that this is one of your favorite places," she said, nibbling his ear. 

"How could it not be, it's where I met you." 

"That's sweet, although really we met at the train station."

"Oh, you were there?" he teased, and she gave him an elbow for his trouble. 

"Do you want to shag me or not?" she said.

"I think you know the answer to that question, love. Now lead the way." 

"I'm curious," Ginny went on, as she led him first through the kitchen, toward the stairs. "Is there a room in this house in which we haven't shagged?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Wait, yes. We haven't done it in your parents' room – no, Gin." 

Ginny giggled, clearly revealing her intentions. Harry resisted, but just barely, and it was easy for her to pull him up the stairs. "They'll never know, don't worry," Ginny assured him, as they continued up to the second-floor landing.

"Yeah, but I will. Besides your mum has some kind of sixth sense – she'll just figure it out, and then I'll never be able to look her in the face again." 

"Don't be daft, now come on." 

Harry paused. "Wait. Is there going to be a costume that I have to watch you strip off?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Of course. I come prepared. Why?"

"Just as long as it's not your mum's nightgown or something—"

"Harry, are you purposely trying to turn me off right now, because if you are, it's working." Ginny crinkled her nose at him. "Just for the record, no, it's definitely not my mum's nightgown."

"Thank god," Harry breathed, as they continued down the hall. She pushed through the door of her parents' room, and promptly slipped off her shoes and pulled her shirt over her head. 

"You certainly don't waste any time," Harry commented, reaching for her. 

She held him at arm's length. "Not yet, I'm not ready." 

"Aw Gin, forget the ruddy costume. I'm just going to tear it off you anyway." 

"Patience, Mr. Potter." She grabbed him between the legs and squeezed until he buckled at the knees. 

"Bloody hell…." he groaned. 

"Now, wait here. I'll be back. Feel free to slip into something more comfortable." She flicked the tip of his nose with her finger, and slipped into the closet. 

Although she wouldn't admit it to Harry, Ginny did feel a bit strange preparing for sex in her parents' closet. She brushed against her father's coats and her mum's housedresses as she undressed from her street clothes, and retrieved the barely-there lingerie she'd had custom-made in red and gold, and flown in from an exclusive shop in London. She grinned when she thought of the look on Harry's face, and felt a familiar warm numbness between her legs as she slipped into the lacy crotchless panties. She was tempted to start the process a little early, and ran her finger tentatively along her clit, biting down on her lower lip. But then she caught a glimpse of her father's hats on the top shelf and she quickly changed her mind. 

"What's taking so long?" Harry called impatiently on the other side of the door. 

"Almost ready," she called back, her voice quavering with anticipation as she fastened the hooks on the french-cut bra that barely covered the front of her breasts. "You'd better not still be dressed when I come out, because when you see this you're going to burst right out of your pants." 

"Don't worry, I'm not dressed. But bloody hell, hurry up already!"

"Keep your pants on, Potter. Oh wait, never mind. Don't keep your pants on." Then she opened the door and stepped into the room. After steeling herself against the familiar family pictures on the walls, and her father's books on the desk by the window, she turned her attention to Harry, who looked dumbstruck. 

"Holy fuck. That—that's…"

"Gryffindor to the end, right?" she winked, and stroked her finger between her legs, which elicited a moan from Harry. 

"Oh my god, I love you so bloody much." 

"Do you really?" she purred, arching forward as she pushed her fingers in between her legs. Her breasts nearly came out of the cups of her bra. Harry literally yelped, and dropped to his knees, madly stroking his full-on erection. 

Ginny then dropped to her knees and crawled slowly across the floor, her hair forming a curtain around the sides of her face; her eyes were trained fully on the head of his cock. "Don’t start without me," she said, licking her lower lip. 

Harry couldn't even speak now; he simply watched her, his jaw hanging open and his hands down at his sides. Every few seconds he strained against the power of his erection, gritting his teeth, but never once did he blink or take his eyes off her. 

He was trembling by the time she reached him. She cupped his balls in one hand, and used the other to hold his cock, although his erection made that almost unnecessary. Then she flicked the head with her tongue, and slowly began to take him in her mouth. His body shuddered, and his hands went to her head, holding her as she calmly ran her lips up and down his shaft. Just as he was about to come, she pulled her mouth away and slipped herself easily between his legs, riding him until he came.

"Ooooh crikey…." 

"Again with that Crikey. Who is he?" Ginny winked, as his fingers expertly unfastened the clasps at her back, then came around front to cup the mounds of her breasts in his hands. 

"You have absolutely perfect breasts," he said, flicking her erect nipples with his tongue. 

"I try." She arched her head back and smiled, enjoying the sensation of his mouth on her breast. "By the way, Happy Birthday." 

"Indeed," Harry murmured. She could hear the smile in his voice as he put his mouth on hers and eased her onto her back. "A very happy birthday."


	12. Baby, It's Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny has a frightening moment at home with the twins. Ginny and Harry also welcome an unexpected visitor.

"Look at my brilliant boy, and my brilliant beautiful girl! Daddy loves you, yes he does…Wow, and you almost got it there! You're going to be a great Seeker, I can tell already." 

Harry had laid the eight-month-old twins on their stomachs on a blanket on the floor of their nursery, and was kneeling in front of them, tickling their backs. The babies kicked and gurgled while craning their necks to look up at him, and every once in awhile, a flash of gold zipped around the room; it was the toy Golden Snitch that Harry had had custom made and was now an almost constant presence in the nursery. The babies would watch it, delighting in the whirring of the wings and the shiny gold ball. The Snitch buzzed around above their heads, and never came close enough to cause any harm to them; if their fingers came within two feet of it, which was rare, the snitch was bewitched to automatically zip away out of reach. 

"Now, I thought you said you weren't going to influence them," Ginny said with a small smile from where she lingered in the doorway in her robe and slippers. She'd been about to take a shower when she heard Harry's voice, and had come to investigate. 

Harry sat up and smiled, his cheeks flushed. "Well, good morning," he said. "I was wondering when you'd be up. Feeling any better?"

Ginny yawned and stretched. "Oh, a little. But I just can't seem to shake it. I'm so bloody tired, and can't keep anything down." 

"I can skip practice today, if you need me--"

"Nonsense. You've only just started working out with the team. Now, go. If I need help I'll call Mum or Hermione."

"If you're sure--"

"I'm sure," Ginny said. "You'd best get in the shower, don't you have to be there in less than an hour?"

Harry got up, and came over to give her a kiss. "I hate leaving you when you're ill," he said, curling his arms around her waist. 

She rifled her fingers through his hair, and smiled into his concerned face. "I'm fine," she said. 

"Promise you'll send word if either of the twins does anything? Since they're starting to lift themselves up on their arms, they really want to crawl, and I don't want to miss--"

"I promise."

"Isn't their check-up appointment this afternoon?"

"That's tomorrow. Now go on, get in the shower. You want to make a good impression by being on time for practice, right? I love you," she added, and gently pushed his glasses farther up his nose. 

Harry smiled. "I love you," he echoed, then reluctantly pulled away and went to the shower. 

* * * * *

"Thanks so much for coming, Hermione," Ginny greeted her best friend with a smile and a hug when she arrived just before noon. "You didn't have to take time off from work, but I really appreciate it." 

"Of course, anything you need." Hermione smiled, accepted Ginny's offer of a cup of tea, and the two of them settled in the sitting room. "The twins are napping?"

Ginny nodded. 

"Honestly, I don't know how you do it. Liam's just been a little terror lately. I suppose he gets that from his dad," Hermione said with a playful roll of her eyes. She giggled, then noticed that Ginny had fallen silent. "Now, what's the matter? Nothing's wrong with the babies, I hope?"

Ginny shook her head. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "No, it's not the babies." 

"Is it Harry?"

"No, Harry's fine. He's having a great time with the Cannons." 

"Ginny, what's going on? Why are you smiling like that?"

"I'm pregnant. I found out yesterday." 

"Oh! Ginny that's wonderful! " Hermione put down her tea and nearly leapt across the coffee table to give her a hug. Then she sat down next to her on the sofa. "But, how do you feel about it, I mean, it's so soon after--" 

"Well at first I wasn't sure. As you said, the twins are only a few months old; by this time next year, I'll have three babies under the age of two. But now…well, now I really like the idea." 

"That's fantastic. I'm sure Harry's over the moon, as well."

"He doesn't know yet. I'm going to tell him tonight, since I knew he'd skip practice today if I told him this morning. But I just had to tell someone." Ginny settled back against the cushions, and a feeling of warm contentment came over her. "When the Healer first told me the news, I thought she was joking. I actually laughed – I think it startled her." 

Hermione giggled. 

Suddenly there was a loud crash on the floor above; the impact rattled the ceiling. This was followed by terrified, high-pitched wailing. Hermione let out a little shriek, and both she and Ginny hurried upstairs. Ginny's heart was racing, her body cold with panic. She could have sworn that Harry had anchored the furniture with Holding Charms now that the babies were using magic. He'd promised her he would. Bloody hell, if something had happened she would never forgive herself… 

"Oh my god, oh my god," she murmured repeatedly. Tears stung her eyes. She was an awful mum, she couldn't even take care of her own babies…

In the nursery, both James and Sarah were standing up in their new cribs, James in a burgundy sleeper, and Sarah in gold. They were clutching the crib railings with their tiny fists. Both were red-faced, tears streaming down their cheeks. The shelf on which their books were stored was collapsed on the floor a few feet away with books scattered everywhere, and it was not hard to see why; the Golden Snitch, which Ginny had forgotten to shut off before leaving the babies for their nap, was hovering a few feet out of their reach near the ceiling. 

Ginny didn't notice that her babies were standing up for the first time; all she saw were the tears and the frightened eyes that turned to her for consolation the second the door opened. When Sarah saw Ginny, she reached up with one hand toward the ceiling and pointed at the Snitch while still crying. 

"Oh my goodness!" Hermione looked from the broken shelf, to the screaming babies. Ginny shut off the Snitch with a hurried incantation, then rushed to the crib closest to her, and picked up Sarah, whom she pressed snugly against her shoulder, peppering her head with reassuring kisses even as her own tears continued to fall. She ran her hands over the baby's body, checking for any noticeable injuries. Hermione retrieved James, and did the same. 

"What happened?" Hermione asked, once they'd taken the babies downstairs to calm them. 

"I bloody fucked up, that's what happened," Ginny snapped, bouncing Sarah against her shoulder. The baby was calmer now, although still restless and fussy.

"Ginny, what—of course not, I'm sure it was an accident." Hermione slowly walked with James, whispering to him and patting his back. 

"Hermione, I didn't turn off the Snitch when I left the babies. I left them alone with it. So yes, I did fuck up. It was not an accident. How could I have been so careless?" 

Hermione hesitated, and a look of concern crossed her face.

"You see? I'm unfit," Ginny declared. 

"You are certainly not unfit. Ginny, it was a mistake. You're a new mum. It happens to everyone."

"Although not to you, right? You would never leave Liam alone with a toy like that."

"Stop that, right now," Hermione demanded. Startled, Ginny stopped walking and turned to look at her friend with wide eyes. "You can't come down on yourself for every little mistake. You learn from it, that's all. Do you think I haven't made any mistakes? Ginny, you know me, I learn from books. I'm used to finding everything I need there. But with Liam, for the most part I learn as I go. It's bloody hard, but I do it. I have no choice." 

"All right," Ginny sighed, resting her cheek against the top of her daughter's head. 

"Now, let's take care of Sarah and James, and fix the shelf. Then we'll have a nice lunch and talk about the new baby." Hermione smiled assuringly. "I'll bet you can't wait to tell Harry." 

"Thanks, Hermione. I'm sorry I snapped at you." 

"Don't worry about it, it's perfectly fine."

 

* * * * * 

When Ginny later relayed to Harry what had happened, his face went white. "Bloody hell, why didn't you get me?" he demanded. Throwing down his practice gear, he rushed upstairs in a mad panic, with Ginny not far behind him. 

When they peeked in the room, Sarah and James were sleeping contentedly in their cribs. Harry gave each one a soft kiss on the head, and ran his hand tenderly down their stomachs. His shoulders slumped as he leaned over their cribs, gazing at them. Ginny watched from the doorway, tears once again stinging her eyes. She felt sick to her stomach. 

"Thank god they're okay." Harry turned around. "But I still wish you'd told me. Nothing is more important than them." 

"I'm sorry. I should have been more careful. I don't know what I was thinking." She felt the urge to cry and tried to suppress it; but the look of pure relief and love in Harry's eyes set her off. A moment later she was in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. He walked with her out into the hall and closed the door.

"Gin, it's all right," he said, kissing her hair. 

She clung to him, grabbing chunks of his shirt in her fists as she buried her face in his shoulder. "I've never felt so helpless," she said. "I'm so used to being able to take care of things, and now… I saw that shelf on the floor, and the babies crying, it was only a few feet from their beds…I just—oh my god, Harry. When I think about what might have happened, how much worse it could have been…" 

"But it's fine now. The babies are all right. It was just a mistake." 

"Hermione said that, too." 

"Well like I've said before, that Hermione is a smart one." 

"Yes, I suppose she is." Ginny smiled.

"I simply don't understand how that shelf came off the wall. I put three layers of Protective Charms on all the furniture; they're supposed to withstand anything," Harry said, with a hint of worry. "Perhaps I didn't perform them correctly." 

Ginny looked up at him skeptically. "I seriously doubt that," she said. 

"But then how could a baby--?"

"Don't forget, they're Potters. Need I say more?" 

"It's just…it's amazing." Harry's cheeks went red, and he smiled. 

"Which reminds me—they were standing up when we went in there to get them! They had their hands on the bars, but they were holding themselves up…I was so upset it didn't register until now." The tears filled her eyes again, but this time she beamed. "Eight months old and they're already standing up." 

"That's fantastic!" Harry beamed. But the smile dissipated a second later. "I wish I'd seen it."

She touched his face consolingly, her brow furrowed. "Harry, don't."

"I can't help it. I hate being away from them. I don't want to miss these milestones, they only happen once." 

"You'll see it again. The most important thing is that you're their father. You love them, and you'll give them everything they could ever want or need. You've already given them the best gift of all by making the world a safer place for them to live. You were a wonderful father even before you were a father, if that makes any sense. You're a pretty good husband, too." Ginny kissed him. "Now stop it. Don't punish yourself for doing something you love. Please. You've worked too long and too hard."

Harry gathered her back into his arms and held her close, stroking her back. "What do you say we have a bit of a lie-in together while James and Sarah are asleep? I'm bloody worn out from practice."

"Mmm, that sounds lovely. But first, there's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?" Harry asked, taking her hand and leading her into the bedroom. 

"Oh nothing special, just that I'm pregnant."

"Oh okay well, we…wait. What? You're…oh Gin. Really?" Harry let out an excited whoop, and lifted her off her feet back into his arms. "You're sure?"

"One-hundred percent. The Healer confirmed it yesterday. I think it was that romantic trip we took to Dorset. I'd like to think it was our little...birthday trip, but the timing isn't quite right." 

"Bloody hell, this is…well it's just bloody incredible!" Harry laughed. "Gods, I mean…we're having a baby!"

"Sssh," she put her finger to her lips, but smiled. "It's funny, how we had so much trouble getting pregnant before and now we can do it without even thinking about it." 

"It's the mark of a Weasley woman," Harry quipped, and she nudged him. 

"Be quiet, you know you love it." 

"That I do, indeed." 

His eyes still focused on her, Harry steered the both of them toward the bed. He eased her down first, then crawled up alongside her. Resting his head by her shoulder, he put his hand on her stomach and began to softly stroke her with his hand moving in a circular motion. 

She closed her eyes and focused completely on the touch of his hand and his head against her shoulder. "You know if we're not careful we could have ourselves a whole Quidditch team before too long," she said. 

"Now that would be fantastic. Hey," he lifted his head to look at her, "are you all right with this, being pregnant again so soon?"

"I couldn't be happier." 

"Really?" he looked worried. 

"Would you like me to show you how happy I am, or are you too worn out?" She raised her eyebrows, then maneuvered herself on top of him and grinned when she felt his hardness against her thigh. "Wait, hm. You can't be that worn out…"

"Aren't you not feeling well?"

"So you really don't want to have sex, then?" 

Harry grabbed her buttocks, and grinned. "Does that answer your question?"

"It certainly does," Ginny said with a giggle, as he took her face in his hands, and kissed her.


	13. Still My Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ginny receive some news about their unborn child. Meanwhile the twins continue to demonstrate extraordinary magical powers.

"Oh bollocks, not again." 

Ginny cursed under her breath as she bolted from the sofa to the loo. Clearly the mild potion Helena had given her two weeks ago was not working; she was completely unable to keep anything down, even her favorite strawberries. It seemed that the only food her stomach would tolerate was dried toast and tea, and if she was lucky, soda crackers. She couldn't remember feeling this ill in her first pregnancy. Helena had mentioned that every pregnancy was different, so Ginny tried to take some solace in that – but it was hard when she was in the loo ten times a day getting sick. Between that and the twins, she was running herself ragged. Harry helped when he could, but with the Cannons' traveling schedule, mandatory practice sessions, and publicity events, he wasn't home more than two days a week. 

Ginny really hoped that James and Sarah weren't going to turn into Fred and George; their unpredictable behavior was remarkably similar to their uncles', even at such a young age. Only ten months old, not only were they starting to walk by holding onto furniture, but they were levitating toys an inch or two off the floor, and making undesirable food such as mashed squash disappear from their bowls, only to have it wind up somewhere very inconvenient like the sofa cushions, or in Ginny's hair. James had also recently figured out that if he cried loud enough he could make pictures come off the walls, so Harry had resorted to strong Adhesive Spells he'd used only on Auror training missions. So far, the spells were working, but Ginny figured it would not be long before the babies got around it. One of her greatest fears was that one day they would accidentally figure out how to Apparate, and she'd never find them. If she had to manage this for ten more years before sending them off to Hogwarts, she would wind up in St. Mungo's.

Ginny splashed water on her face, and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Harry kept saying she had that maternal 'glow' about her, but all she saw was an exhausted, bloated witch with heavy, tender breasts and embarrassingly unkempt hair who was in bad need of a shower.

"I'd like him to try being pregnant for awhile, see if he has that ruddy glow," she muttered. The night before, he'd even tried to initiate sex; if she hadn't been so exhausted, she would have laughed at the idea. As a result, Harry had been a bit snappish when he left for the match that morning – but at least she'd gotten a little extra sleep out of it. 

She'd decided she was going to start taking the twins to Mum's a couple of days a week. While the idea of subjecting Mum to the babies' antics along with the half-dozen other children she was minding seemed almost unfair, Ginny was close to being at her wits' end with the lack of sleep and the upset stomach. She would bring it up with Harry when he got home in the evening; she would also be bringing up the morning sickness with Helena at her next appointment, to see if there was anything else that could be done. At this rate she'd never make it through the next six months.

"After this one Ginevra, you're taking a long break," she told her reflection. Feeling a bit better, she decided to take advantage of the free time and take a shower. 

After peeking in on the babies to make sure they were still asleep, she shed her clothes and stepped under the warm spray, and for several minutes she simply stood there with her eyes closed, letting the droplets pour over her head and down her body. Gods, it felt heavenly. She turned to face the spray; even though her breasts were tender, the massaging effect of the water seemed to ease her discomfort. She smoothed the water over her, spreading the warmth. 

Then, quite out of the blue, she wanted sex. Perhaps it was the way the water felt against her body, but before long she was leaning into the spray, and arched her hips up slightly to accentuate the feeling between her legs. She wondered when Harry would be home; not for hours, surely. Too bad she hadn't felt like this in the morning, it would have made his entire day, and she probably wouldn't feel like this by the time he came home. A low groan escaped her throat, and she moved her hand down between her legs, stroking her clit with her finger. Before long, she was nearing climax – but instead of the thrilling rush that came with it, Ginny felt a hot, prickly heat that seemed to stifle her entire body. She felt overwhelmingly ill, and wavered on her feet; she put her hand out firmly against the wall and leaned there for a while, her head down while the water poured over her. Once it subsided, she left the shower, changed into her clothes and immediately owled the Healer. While she wasn’t overly concerned, still it was the most extreme symptoms she’d had so far and she wanted to be safe.

* * * 

As she watched, Ginny recalled the first time she'd had this examination; particularly all the excitement she'd felt at seeing the beautiful, bright colors that had emanated from Helena's wand. But this time the pink sparks that emanated from Helena's wand were very weak and pale, and judging by the serious expression on the Healer’s face, it was something to be concerned about.

"What’s wrong?" she asked.

Helena sighed lightly, and when she put away her wand she hesitated before looking at Ginny, as if she didn't want to admit what she'd found. Ginny took in her breath. The walls seemed to close in around her. 

“First, what you were experiencing was simply a strong case of morning sickness. I can understand your concern, of course; all women go through it differently. But you’re in good health for a woman in your condition.”

"What else? Is the baby ill, what's wrong?" 

"No, the baby is healthy. Although your weight is a bit lower than I'd like it to be, we can manage that. I'll prescribe you some more vitamins and recommend a special diet."

Ginny exhaled. "Bloody hell," she sighed. "So, I don't understand. If the baby is healthy then what exactly is happening?

"Once the baby is born I'm afraid that he or she will have no magical ability." 

"A Squib." Ginny's voice trembled. Even though she knew what the word meant, it still wasn't quite penetrating. It felt foreign to her. 

"Yes." 

"Is it something I did?" Ginny sat up abruptly, her heart pounding. 

"No, of course not.” 

"This can't be right, there has to be a mistake." 

Helena shook her head slowly. Tears welled in Ginny's eyes, and she set her jaw. “How? Our twins are so—they're levitating toys!”

"It has nothing to do with genetics, or bloodlines. Every wizarding family has a chance of giving birth to a child with no magic powers, just as a Muggle family can give birth to a magical child, although Muggleborns are not as common.” Helena took her hand. “I understand this is a lot to manage right now. But there are plenty of non-magical children who thrive in their wizarding families. There will be adjustments, of course, but there are adjustments every time a new baby arrives. Now, I am able to tell you the baby’s sex, if you would like to know.” 

Ginny nodded absently. 

Helena smiled softly, and gave Ginny’s hand a squeeze. “It’s a girl.” 

* * * * 

“Hello, dear! How did it go?” Molly Weasley got up from the sofa, where she’d been knitting and listening to the Quidditch match on the Wireless while watching James and Sarah in their playspace on the living room floor. The twins began to squeal and babble when they saw Ginny, and they pulled themselves up on the railing of their playspace to reach for her. Up until that point Ginny had been holding herself together, but when she saw the pure joy on her babies’ faces, her tears started flowing.

“Come here love. Sit down with me.” Molly held open her arms. Ginny buried her face in her mum’s soft shoulder as they sat on the sofa. The laughter and babbling of the babies drifted through Ginny's head, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at them. 

“What am I going to do, mum?” 

“What, are you ill?" 

Ginny shook her head, and sat up. She told her mum everything that the Healer had told her. Her voice trembled, and while she thought she would cry, she managed to hold it in. Molly’s eyes were sad, but then she smiled as she took Ginny's hand and squeezed it. 

“I’ll tell you exactly what you’re going to do, Ginny," she replied. “You’re going to love this little one just as much as you love James and Sarah. You’re going to be a wonderful mum to--“

“Her,” Ginny cut in, her voice just above a whisper.

“--to her. You'll keep her safe, and give her a very happy life. You and Harry have so much love inside you. You needn’t be sad about this. Of course it’s hard, and it will be difficult to get used to at first. But she's your child. When she’s born she’s going to need you and Harry just as much as the twins do.” 

“But she won’t be able to do the same things. She’ll be left behind when they go to school.” 

“Now, she may not be able to do the things that magical children can, but there are plenty of other things that she can do.”

"Where will we take her if she gets sick, where will she go to school, how will she—“

“Don’t worry about that now. Just take things one at a time. Of course your dad and I will help you every way we can. Can you imagine how excited he'll be, having a non-magical grandchild?"

Ginny managed a smile when she thought of her father. "That's true," she admitted. 

"Good, there's that smile. You and Harry are going to be fine." 

 

* * * * 

Harry's face, which had been bouyant after the easy win at Falmouth, dropped when she told him about her visit to the Healer. He paused in the midst of removing his Quidditch clothes and sank onto the edge of their bed, shoulders hunched with his bangs hanging over his face. Then he looked at her again, with the faintest flicker of hope in his eyes. 

"They're sure about this?" he asked. When Ginny nodded, Harry looked away briefly. His throat move slowly as he swallowed. Then he got to his feet, and took her into his arms. Ginny nestled into his chest, and clutched the fabric of his orange T-shirt. She didn't cry; rather she just let herself absorb the news all over again. She felt mildly sick.

"It'll be all right. We'll get through this," she said. "What matters is she's healthy." 

"I know. I just…I wish…" 

"So do I." 

Harry took her face in his hands and gazed deeply into her eyes. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "If she's half as beautiful as you, I'll be happy," he said. He tried to smile, but it was sad and awkward. 

Ginny's eyes misted over, but she steeled herself, refusing to cry. "I'm sorry, Harry," she said. 

"There's nothing to be sorry for," he replied, and drew her into a kiss. It was light at first. Their lips flirted, his tongue flicking her teeth. She parted her lips, and he deepened the kiss while his hands dropped down to her sides, stroking her hips. He fingered her shirt, but he was tentative, waiting for her to give him the signal that it was all right to go farther. 

"Make love to me," she sighed, as his lips fell to her neck. 

He backed her toward the bed, and before long their clothes had been banished to the floor. Harry moved on top of her, kissing her earnestly; his hands moved all over her body, exploring it as if he'd never been there before. Her breasts hurt when he touched them, but she didn't let on. She simply closed her eyes and let him enter her, while she arched her hips up to help him. He kissed her chest, her neck, and her lips, his hands cradling her hips to keep her close. 

"I love you," he murmured, his breath hot on her skin as their hips grinded together. "I love you so bloody much." 

"I love you," she echoed. When he came inside her in a rush, she smiled. Then he sank beside her, and she let her fingers run lazily through his hair. His closeness was soothing; it made her feel strong, even as another wave of morning sickness began to creep over her. But she refused to move. She wouldn't break the moment for anything in the world.

"She's never going to want for anything," Harry said. He let his fingers drift over her stomach which was only just starting to rise; his fingers tickled, sending warm waves through her. "She'll never feel like she's anything less than perfect." 

"No, she won't want for anything, and she is perfect, Harry. She's going to be beautiful, and smart, and she'll have your eyes. Maybe she'll even love sports." 

Harry took in his breath sharply. "She'll never know how it feels to fly," he said. "I can't give her that." 

"But you can give her so many other things. We can't be sad about this now, we owe it to her to be strong and happy. She's our little girl." Ginny's eyes welled with tears, but again she forced them back. 

"You think she'll have your freckles? Because I love freckles," Harry smiled, and she giggled.


	14. Bringing Up Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ginny continue to struggle with the news about their baby being a Squib; friends and family offer support.

"Whoa, that was a close one! Boy, the Cannons are off their game today. This should have been an easy match, but they're really struggling. As for Potter, I don't know what happened, but he's seemed distracted lately…" 

"You're right, Ian, he hasn't been himself …I hope he snaps out of this funk, because it isn't doing the Cannons much good, is it?" 

"It certainly isn't, Tom. Especially with the Appleby Arrows coming up in two weeks…It's seventy to thirty, in favor of Puddlemere…No, wait make that eighty to thirty, Culpepper scores!"

Ginny pursed her lips tightly and frowned at the Wireless that was perched on the table next to her. "Oh shut the bloody hell up," she muttered. Out of the corner of her eye she watched James and Sarah totter precariously around the living room with their cousin Liam. They had only recently begun to walk; although they stumbled quite frequently, they clearly enjoyed their newfound mobility. 

"Why are we even listening to this?" Ginny said with a dejected sigh, as she took a sip of her tea. 

"So, Harry's still taking the news hard," said Hermione.

"Hard is an understatement. In traditional Potter fashion he says he's fine, when he's clearly not. It's been almost a month of this moping around and being moody. I know he's blaming himself. It makes me bloody crazy." 

Hermione shook her head and sighed. "I wish he could just let things go," she said. "He takes too much on himself." 

"I know. It doesn't matter if there's a viable reason or not, he will blame himself for anything bad that happens to anyone he cares about. What bothers me even more is that he can't stop focusing on the one thing she doesn't have, so he won't be able to focus on what she does have. Life is going to be hard enough for her, without her own father treating her like she's—Sarah, no, love, don't take that away from James…Oh, bloody hell.…" Ginny set down her cup and went to retrieve the stuffed owl toy. Sarah saw her coming and with a look of pure glee – and a hint of mischief – she began to toddle away with the owl clutched in her hands. James pouted, then whimpered; his face turned red, and he set his jaw, and prepared to wail. 

But before even the slightest whimper escaped his throat, Sarah stumbled and hit her head on the arm of the cushioned armchair. The owl levitated out of her hands and landed right at James’s feet. James promptly knelt down on wobbly knees to pick it up.

“Oh my goodness!” Hermione gasped, nearly dropping her cup in her haste to get up. 

“James! James, NO!”” Ginny shrieked, as she gathered the crying Sarah into her arms and picked her up. Sarah fussed while Ginny attempted to calm her, and checked her for any visible injuries. Then something hit her with a smack in the side of the head; it was the stuffed owl toy, which Sarah had managed to levitate away from her brother. The room was filled with the sound of crying babies; Liam, seeing his cousins in distress and not knowing why, also joined in. Between the two of them it took Ginny and Hermione nearly twenty minutes to get the babies quieted down. 

“What on earth was that?” Hermione asked, visibly rattled, as she settled into the sofa with Liam in her lap.

“I have no idea,” Ginny replied. She couldn’t seem to stop touching her babies, checking them for bruises, or scratches that she might have missed before. Under their hair, between their fingers, even their pudgy stomachs. But the twins were fine, and bore no visible trauma. By the time Ginny set them in their playspace with the protective barrier, they seemed to have forgotten all about what had transpired; Sarah let James have the owl toy while she contented herself with a cloth doll that Molly Weasley had made. They babbled to themselves, and giggled at Ginny.

“Are you all right?” Hermione asked, looking at Ginny worriedly. 

“No,” Ginny replied honestly, as she sat back down on the sofa. To calm herself, she began to stroke her belly. Then a realization hit her. She took in her breath sharply, and looked at her friend. 

“What is it?” Hermione asked, her voice taking on a high-pitched anxious tone.

“The baby,” Ginny said simply. 

“Is there something wrong? Perhaps we should take you to the Healer—“

Ginny shook her head. “No, it’s not that. What I mean is if the twins do this to each other, what’s to stop them from doing it to this baby? They won’t understand that she can’t defend herself. They think it’s just playing.“

“Ginny, it’s all right, calm down.”

“I can’t calm down, Hermione. How am I supposed to protect her? The world is going to be full of magic, what if something happens?”

“You’ll protect her because you’re her mum.” 

“But I don’t want to have to protect her from her own siblings, it’s not right.” 

“Yet you will, Ginny. Once Sarah and James are old enough, they will understand what’s right and wrong, and they will learn to control their magic. You might have to watch this one a little more closely at first, but that’s what mothers do.”

“All I know is the magical world, I know how to take care of things here. But now it's like I’m in a foreign country learning a whole new language, and all new customs. I've been checking with the bookstores, and I found only one miserable book on how to raise a non-magical child. It was pathetic, really. Barely fifty pages long, and chock full of clichés – most of them were things that my own mum probably could have told me. Helena is great, but she doesn’t know enough about this to be much help. She promised that she’d look into finding someone who might know more, but she didn't sound very optimistic."

"Well the fact that Harry was raised by Muggles for eleven years should be of some help, right? I'm sure he has at least a little insight."

"Yes, that might help a little, except for the fact that Harry won’t even talk about this because he’s too busy blaming himself. It’s interfering with his life in every possible way – you heard the Wireless, he gets no joy out of anything. Meanwhile this baby is coming in a few months, and we have no ruddy idea what we’re going to do. There isn’t enough information, it’s like no one even cares. It just amazes me. You’d think we were the only family in the whole bloody world that's having a Squib. Sure, it's uncommon, but it's not that uncommon." 

“Of course you’re not the only ones.” Hermione reached over and squeezed Ginny’s hand. 

“Well it sure as hell seems like we are,” Ginny said thickly. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard the sports commentators announce that the seeker for Puddlemere had caught the snitch, and her heart sank. 

"So do something about it, then." 

"What do you mean? I already told you, I've been all over the place--"

Hermione sat up earnestly. The movement jostled Liam, causing him to drop his bottle; but before he could do much more than murmur in protest, she had the bottle back in his mouth without a second thought. Then she continued, "If you feel like you're the only one, you know that there are other parents out there who feel the same way. What if there was a universal network for you all to communicate and share information, and help each other through tough spots? You could start one! Oh, it would be fantastic, and it would help so many people. What do you think?" There was a sparkle in Hermione's eyes that reminded Ginny of when S.P.E.W. had come to life in Hermione's fourth year at Hogwarts.

Ginny had to admit that this wasn't a half-bad idea. "I like it," she said brightly. "But it seems like such a big job--"

"If anyone can do this, it's you. I've heard from reliable sources that you're as stubborn as a bloody horse when you want something." Hermione smiled warmly. "Honestly, you'd be perfect. If you want, I could give you a hand with the organizational things as well." 

"Well I will definitely think more about this. Thanks, Hermione." 

Harry arrived home three hours later, visibly dejected. "Hey," he offered in response to Ginny's greeting. He shrugged off his coat, slipped off his shoes and lazily levitated his Quidditch equipment into the closet by the kitchen. 

Ginny felt a sting of disappointment. "I'm sorry about the game," she said, from where she sat on the sofa. She'd just put the twins down for a nap, and was flipping through the book, Parenting Tips for Raising a Squib. Even though she'd found it disappointing on her initial read-through, since it was currently her only resource she'd decided to give it another chance; at the very least, it would provide her with some groundwork for her new project.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't important," Harry said, and went to the kitchen where he retrieved a Butterbeer. He paused by the sofa to give her a kiss; Ginny moved her feet and gestured for him to join her. 

"Come on, sit with me," she said, offering a hopeful smile. 

He did, and his eyes glanced over her slightly swollen stomach. "How are you feeling?" he asked. His brow was furrowed. 

"I'm fine. But you're obviously not, and I want to talk about it." Ginny took his hand, which had been lazily draped on his leg, and put it purposefully on her stomach. "Pretending this isn't happening isn't going to make it any easier." 

Harry swallowed another gulp of Butterbeer, which he then set down on the table. "Gin, I'm really tired--"

"Please," she insisted. "I can't stand this any more. We're having a baby. It's supposed to be a happy thing." 

"I am happy," Harry said, and made as if to move his hand away. But she held him fast. 

"Stop it all right? I know when you're lying. Tell me what you're thinking about, Harry. Do you not love this baby?"

Harry looked visibly wounded when she said this, and Ginny almost wished she hadn't. She fought to keep back the tears that she felt threatening at the back of her eyes. 

"Bloody hell, Gin," he said sharply, and got to his feet. "Why would you ask me that?"

"I'm sorry, but from the way you've been acting it's as if you just don't want her." 

Harry rounded on her, hands clenched. "She's our baby, of course I want her. It's just that I'm bloody scared, all right?" 

"You don't think I'm scared? You don't think I lie awake at night worrying about how we're going to take care of her?" Ginny went on to tell him about what had transpired between the twins earlier that day. "I want her to have a real relationship with her siblings, and not feel like she's any different from them." 

"But she is different." 

"Not in the most important way - she's our daughter. We made her together." 

"I know," Harry said quietly. He averted his eyes toward the mantle, which held several moving pictures – one of their wedding day, several of Ron and Hermione and the other Weasleys, and a few of Sarah and James.

Encouraged, Ginny got to her feet and went to him; she leaned into him and he held her close, stroking her hair. He released a shaky breath. His shoulders and neck felt tense against her cheek, so she began to knead her fingers into his muscles. He smelled of soap and grass. 

"Hermione had an idea today, and it could really help us," she said. "She suggested that we reach out to other parents in the same situation, and form a sort of support network. I know you don't like to ask for help, but I think it's worth a shot. That way we don't have to feel like we're alone in this." 

"All right." Harry's shoulders loosened beneath her fingers, and he bent his head closer to her. His lips brushed her neck, and his hands traveled down the side of her body, over her stomach. "I love you, Gin. Both of you." 

"I know." Ginny smiled, and closed her eyes.


	15. Slow Down, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins turn One, and Ginny is having mixed feelings about it.

Ginny awoke before dawn to the sensation of movement inside her belly. She imagined her daughter floating around inside her womb. Nothing could harm her; she was at peace, without a care. Lying on her side, Ginny stroked her belly and watched the snow drift lazily outside the window. It had been snowing all night; she hoped that the weather wouldn't hamper the birthday celebrations she had planned for James and Sarah. The entire Weasley clan, except for Bill and Fleur who were in France, and Charlie in Romania, was expected to come over just before noon for an afternoon-long celebration that would include food, games, music, and what would undoubtedly be a mountain of gifts judging by the haul Harry had brought home from a shopping excursion in London. It would be the first time that Ginny had hosted her entire extended family at the cottage, and she was excited. Harry had also managed to get the day off from practice with the Cannons. 

How could it possibly be a year already, she wondered. At this time a year ago, she was in labor; and now, the twins were walking, and say words like "mummy" and "daddy", and – to Harry's immense delight – "snitch". James looked more like Harry with every passing day; and even though Sarah had Ginny's ginger hair, she was also starting to resemble her father. Ginny was so proud of them she thought she would explode; sometimes she had to remind herself that she had actually had a hand in creating them. She delighted seeing bits of herself in her children – particularly Sarah's stubborn temper, and James's preference for anything strawberry-flavored. 

Meanwhile things were moving along with the parenting network which Hermione had cleverly named N.A.P.S. - Network for Assisting Parents of Squibs. Over the past few weeks, simply by posting notices at the Ministry and St. Mungo's, as well as placing ads in the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly, Ginny had been put in contact with three other mothers, one of whom had just given birth a month earlier; the other two were at varying stages of pregnancy, but neither were as far along as Ginny. The four witches had been exchanging owls getting to know each other. With the holidays approaching they'd decided that their first in-person meeting would take place right after the new year. Hermione was in full-on administrative mode; having assigned herself as secretary for the group, she would be responsible for taking notes at meetings, and posting a bi-monthly newsletter. 

Beside her, Harry shifted and exhaled, which told her that he was also awake. His arm curled around her belly and he eased closer to her, nestling his face in her hair. "Can't sleep?" he murmured. 

Ginny clasped her own hands around his. "I can't believe they're one already," she said. 

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Harry's lips brushed the back of her neck. "They're growing so fast. Before we know it they'll be off to Hogwarts." 

"Let's not move that fast. I'd like to enjoy them for awhile." Ginny smiled. Then the baby moved inside her, and she heard Harry catch his breath. She loved how he became so excited every time he felt her move, even though she'd moved many times before. 

"I've got an idea for her name," he said, as his hands smoothed over the crest of her belly, carrying her hands along with them. 

"Tell me." 

"Gwendolyn." 

"That sounds beautiful. I like it." 

Without seeing his face, Ginny knew Harry was smiling. "She is going to be beautiful, isn't she?" he said, phrasing it more as an observation than a question. "She'll have your eyes, and your hair, and of course your smile…" 

"Oh, I think she'll have a little of you in there somewhere." Ginny rolled herself onto her back and looked at him. He looked tired, but content, his hair rumpled around his face. His eyes squinted slightly to focus on her face. "Like those brilliant green eyes…that's the mark of a Potter baby." 

He bent to kiss her, his tongue lightly parting her lips while his hands moved down her sides, and slipped between her legs. He hesitated, his fingers tracing along the lines of her knickers; with one simple nudge of her hand she told him it was all right. 

"I want to," she murmured. "Very much." 

"Thank god," Harry said, as his fingers moved beneath the elastic and touched her between her legs, where she was wet and ready. He slid the knickers down her legs, and she helped him by bending her knees slightly and wiggling her feet until they came off completely. Then she pushed them away with her feet and inched closer to him, while pushing down his pajama bottoms, which Harry then kicked away all too eagerly. 

"I don't know what it is, but this time around, I just can't seem to get enough," she said.

"Don't question it. Just go with it, I say." 

"Mmm." She eased herself on top of him and sat up, straddling his waist. While he watched, she unfastened the buttons of her nightgown and pulled it over her head. Even though the air was comfortably warm with the permanent heating charm Harry placed on the cottage every winter, the initial shock of it made her nipples hard. Her breasts were heavy and full, but not as tender as they had been before; she eased forward just enough for Harry to take them both in his hands and massage the soft skin. 

"Blimey, you are so beautiful when you're pregnant," he murmured, as she positioned her hips and widened her legs just a bit. His erection was pressing urgently against her, and without any further hesitation she guided him inside her wet center. 

Ginny simply smiled, enjoying the warm tingling sensation of his cock moving inside her. She loved the way his hands felt on her breasts and on her bare belly. Even though she didn't always feel beautiful when she was pregnant, the mere touch of his hands or his mouth on her skin made her feel as if she were the sexiest witch in the world. 

"Is this okay?" he asked. 

"It's perfect." Ginny rolled her hips, and smiled. She was clenched tightly around his cock and she could feel him getting close; his body went rigid. So they could come together, she moved her fingers between her legs and vigorously worked her clit, emitting short, sharp gasps as the pressure built up to a breaking point. He came seconds later, and she followed right behind him. 

Harry smiled up at her through his rumpled hair; his hands moved up and down her sides, and across her belly. Within seconds, she felt that familiar twinge of desire building between her legs again. With that, came something else; a hint of mischief, something she hadn't felt much of since she was a girl, and particularly not when she was pregnant.

"I was thinking we'd try something new, if you're up for it." 

"I'm up for anything, as long as it doesn't—"

She shushed him by putting her finger against his lips. "The baby is fine. She's very well protected." 

"All right, then, what did you have in mind?" 

With a small smile, she turned herself around and leaned forward, propping herself on her elbows and knees. The weight of the baby shifted down. "Do you want to?" she said, looking back at him from between her legs. 

"Really?" 

"Yes, really." With one hand she slipped her fingers between her legs and began to massage herself, arching her hips while moving into the pressure of her fingers. Meanwhile, her round, firm buttocks thrust backward toward Harry's face; he readily took them in his hands. 

"Fuck, Gin, this is hot," he murmured, then he replaced her fingers with his own, pressing harder and faster against her clit while she moved back and forth, breasts swinging; her nipples brushed the sheets, which turned her on even more. 

"Come on Harry, do it," she urged. "Do It." 

Harry rose up to his knees, one hand still fully involved in the pleasuring of her clit, while he leaned against her from behind, pressing his growing erection against her buttocks. His other hand held her waist. A low, gutteral moan of pleasure escaped his throat. Ginny closed her eyes; while the sensation of his fingers massaging her hot wet center was amazing, she ached to feel the fullness of his cock. She needed to have him inside her.

"Fuck me hard!" she said, hotly. "Oh gods, yes, right there, blimey that feels good…but I want you, Harry. I want you in me."

"So, that's what you want, is it?"

"Yes. Gods, yes. Do it…Fuck me into the bloody mattress." 

"Well far be it for me to deny a pregnant woman." 

With some help from her husband, Ginny parted her legs a little more. The mattress shifted, and before she could blink he'd thrust his hard, throbbing cock inside her. He held her buttocks, keeping them tightly joined. He continued to move in and out of her, using his fingers to work her clit at the same time. It felt magnificent. Meanwhile Ginny's breasts tingled, her nipples begging for attention. She groaned, partly in ecstasy, partly in frustration, wanting so much to touch herself there but not able to for fear of losing her balance.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Harder, Harry…harder…faster! Oh gods, yes!" She felt a tremendous scream building within her throat, but rather than risk waking the twins, she bit her lip and held it as she came closer to climax. Harry moved his hand away from her clit, and his body braced itself behind her. 

"YES!" Harry erupted inside her, then fell back against the pillows. 

Ginny expected to hear cries coming from the nursery across the hall, but miraculously none came. "Thank god they're heavy sleepers," she murmured to herself, with a laugh. She then fell to her side next to him, pressing her breasts firmly against him, relishing the sensation of her hard nipples stroking against his warm skin.

"Bloody hell, that was fantastic," Harry breathed. When he looked at her, his expression resembled that from when he'd just won a Quidditch match; exhilarated, thrilled, and a bit exhausted. "You never cease to amaze me. By the way, I put Silencing Charms on the room," he added, as if reading her thoughts. 

"Clever. Am I to understand that you planned this little romantic interlude, then?" 

"I saw that look in your eyes when I climbed into bed. I knew you were in the mood." 

"So then why didn't you ask me earlier?" 

"Because waking up from a dead sleep to shag in the middle of the night is pretty hot."

"No argument there." She peeled strands of hair off his damp forehead, and his hand moved to her breast, fondling it with his thumb and forefinger. 

"You know, I could get used to this," Harry commented, his eyes focused completely on her breast. Then he bent to kiss her there, and she emitted a soft purring sound as his tongue touched her nipple. "Your pregnant breasts are so huge." 

"Not to mention heavy." 

"Gin, I've been thinking. How many do you want to have?" 

She was startled by the question, and it took her a moment to compose her thoughts. "I hadn't thought much about it. Why, did you have a number in mind?"

Harry shrugged, and his cheeks flushed. He averted his eyes for an instant before he caught her gaze again. "I d'know…Maybe ten?"

"Ten? That's nearly eight years of my life spent being pregnant." 

"The way I see it, we're a third of the way there already." His hands brushed over her belly, and the baby moved inside her. He smiled, and placed his hand firmly on the spot where he'd felt her move.

"Well if you want to carry the next set, I'm all for it," Ginny remarked, with raised eyebrows. She put her hand on top of his and held it against her.

"I'm serious. I want to have as many babies as possible with you." 

Ginny sighed, stroking his cheek. "You know that when you look at me like that, I'd say yes to just about anything. But I was thinking maybe we'd wait, just a little bit." 

"How long is a 'little bit'?" 

"Let's play it by ear. My body needs time to recover." She smiled. "It makes me so happy to carry your babies, more than you could possibly know. Especially after everything we went through to have James and Sarah. But I need time for me, too. I hope you can understand that."

"Yeah, I understand," Harry said, even though he looked disappointed. But then he smiled, and kissed her. 

"Besides, just because we're not trying to get pregnant right away doesn't mean we can't still enjoy having sex. In fact, if you're up for it…" She guided his hand away from her belly to the space between her legs, which was still wet. "We might be able to get another round in before the twins wake up."

"Mmm, I like the way you think."

 

* * * 

Eight hours later, the cottage was full almost to bursting with Weasleys and their offspring. Even though the room was mostly decorated for Christmas, a decorative banner that read "Happy 1st Birthday, Sarah and James!" was strung over the fireplace, where a fire crackled invitingly in the grate. Fred and George had bewitched the lettering on the banner to sparkle – in red and gold, of course. A custom-made Chudley Cannons birthday cake that took up nearly half the kitchen table had been delivered that morning, and what amounted to a mountain of birthday gifts was stacked by the tree. Molly Weasley had taken over the kitchen, and enlisted Arthur as her assistant; she'd waved away offers of help from everyone, especially Ginny, whom she insisted should stay off her feet. Delicious aromas wafted through the house, and animated children's music played on the wireless. 

Fred and George, who had appointed themselves the official 'child wranglers', were overseeing the gaggle of children, which in addition to the twins, included Liam; and Fred and Angelina's three year-old Joe and his eighteen month-old twin sisters Ruby and Rose. Sarah and James, and Liam had segregated themselves somewhat and were near the Christmas tree, involved in some kind of game that only they seemed to understand. 

Ginny contentedly watched the proceedings with a cup of sparkling pumpkin juice in her hand, flanked by Hermione and Angelina on the sofa. "Look at the three of them over there, in their own little world aren't they?" she said, gazing fondly at their three children.

"Completely oblivious," Angelina added, with a smile. "Like they have their own secret language." 

"They're inseparable. Harry and Ron have been calling them the 'new Trio'," Hermione remarked. "Maybe with Ruby, Rose and Joe they'll be the new sextet." 

"Wouldn't that be fun?" Angelina said. "It'll be 'Hogwarts: The Next Generation'". 

"I expect they'll get into just as much trouble, too," Hermione said.

Ginny smiled. It was consoling to imagine all of their children at Hogwarts together, sharing the same strong friendship that their parents had. Yet at the same time, she didn't want things to change. "Is it bad that I don't want them to grow up?" she said, watching the quiet, focused interaction between James, Sarah, and Liam. 

"Of course not, every mother feels like that when her babies are little. But just wait until they're teenagers, then you'll be itching to kick them out." Angelina remarked good-naturedly. "Especially if they turn out anything like Fred and George. Honestly, as a mum I have a whole new respect for Molly Weasley."

Ginny chuckled halfheartedly. Right now, she couldn't imagine ever wanting her children to leave. She stroked her belly, finding herself comforted by the fact that in a few months, she would begin the entire parenting process all over again; perhaps the feeling was brought on by the sentimentality of the occasion, the first of what would be many milestones in her children's lives, but at that particular moment she felt like her life was completely out of her control, a mad rush of conflicting emotions, and she didn't like it. 

"Are you okay, Ginny?" Hermione asked, looking worried. She put a hand on Ginny's arm.

"I'm fine. Would you excuse me for a minute? I'm getting a little restless, I need to walk around before my feet swell." 

"Sure, of course. But are you sure you don’t--?"

"I'm fine, Hermione. Thanks." 

She found herself outside on the front porch, gazing out at the vast white blanket of snow sparkling in the afternoon sunshine. The house was so busy that no one seemed to have noticed her departure, and she was glad for the solitude. Her eyes followed the slope of the hills, down into the valley where Godric's Hollow was nestled; and not far beyond that to the train station. 

Then the front door opened behind her, and without having to look she knew it was Harry. 

"Hey, love, what are you doing out here, is everything all right?" he asked. She felt a coat being draped over her shoulders, and Harry's hands stroking her arms. 

"I'm fine, just enjoying the quiet." 

He kissed her cheek and wrapped his arms around her belly. "Well, we won't be having much quiet in this house for awhile," he said with a chuckle. "Why don't you come inside, your mum says the food's just about ready." 

"I'll be there soon." Ginny sighed. 

"Are you sure you're all right, Gin?"

"You remember what you said earlier about us having a lot of kids, and how I said I wanted to wait?" 

"Yeah…" 

"Well, I've changed my mind, I don't want to wait."

"What brought this on?"

"Having babies is a miracle, Harry. For awhile we didn't even know if we'd be able to do it. Now that we can, I say we should just go for it." 

Harry was quiet for a long moment, then he turned her around to face him. He looked troubled; his brow was furrowed, and his eyes searched hers questioningly. "All right, out with it," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"The Ginny I know doesn't just do an immediate about-face about something as big as this. There's something else going on." 

"It's just that the twins are growing too fast. I want time to slow down a little more, that's all, so we can enjoy them, without having to think about them leaving us. Since we can't slow down time, then--" 

"You want to fill the house with babies, so it will never be empty." 

"Exactly." She smiled up at him earnestly, fighting back the tears that stung the back of her eyelids. 

Harry brushed a lock of hair off her face, and bent to kiss her. "Our house will never be empty, no matter how many children we have," he said. "I love you, Gin. Having a family with you has made me the happiest I have ever been, and I can't wait to have more. But I don't want to put any pressure on you. Don't just have babies to fill a void, or to make me happy. It's not fair to you, or to them." 

Then the front door flung open, and Ron stood there. "Bloody hell, there you are! What are you two doing? It's freezing out here! Come on, mum's got the food ready and the kids are just about to rip apart their presents." He looked from Harry to Ginny. "Is everything okay?"

Harry looked at Ginny hopefully, and after a moment she smiled. "Yeah, we're okay," she said quietly, squeezing his hand. "Let's go eat."


	16. Baby News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny's well-intentioned plans go terribly awry.

Ginny hummed to herself as she straightened the kitchen. With the flick of her wand in the direction of the sink, the dishes started washing themselves, and with another flick, the broom swept the floor, gathered the dust, and put it in the bin. Meanwhile Ginny packed the lunch leftovers from the first N.A.P.S. meeting into containers, and put them away herself. In a few minutes, Mum would be coming by to drop off the twins and she wanted to have as much of the housekeeping done as possible before then. 

She couldn't help but smile as she puttered around the living room, straightening and dusting. On the table were two extra copies of the first draft of the N.A.P.S. Newsletter that Hermione had put together; it bore a layout very similar to the Daily Prophet, and had the full name Network for Assisting Parents of Squibs across the top in fancy calligraphy. Even though the first meeting had been spent predominately getting to know each other, which meant that they hadn't done much actual work, she would still say that it had been an unequivocal success. 

The sound of scratching drew Ginny's attention to the window overlooking the backyard, where she was surprised to see the wide hopeful eyes of a small orange cat perched precariously on the windowsill. The cat couldn't have been more than a few months old, judging by its size; it gave a small, plaintive mew when it saw her, and touched its forepaws to the window. 

"Where did you come from, little one?" she said, as she released the latch on the window and picked up the cat. The sound of grateful purring filled her ears like the hum of an engine, and claws clung to the fabric of her sweatshirt. Its heartbeat fluttered rapidly against her hand as she held it to her shoulder. Ginny peeked around outside to determine if there was a mother cat, or any other kittens nearby; but when she didn't see any, she closed the window. Then she took the cat into the kitchen where she set him up with a bowl of warm milk. He finished this in record time, so she filled him another one, and gave him some scraps of meat from the sandwiches her mum had made for the meeting. By the time he'd finished his second helping, she'd come up with a name for him: Bartleby. 

Once he finished his food, Bartleby joined Ginny at the table where she'd been sitting watching him; when she reached for him, he nuzzled his cheek against her hand, then went immediately into her lap, where he batted gently at her swollen belly. Then there came the sensation of the baby swimming inside her; it was subtle at first, but then she began to kick. Rather than be startled, Bartleby continued to play, nuzzling his head against her stomach and mewing softly. Ginny watched this interaction for several minutes. Even though it seemed impossible, it also looked like the cat was communicating with the baby.

When she told Harry about it later that evening as they relaxed on the sofa after they'd put the twins to bed, he looked at her as though she'd gone mental. "Gin, it's a bloody cat." 

She frowned. "Don't look at me like that, Harry. I'm telling you, the baby was responding to the cat. You know it's not unheard of for squibs to have a special affinity with animals. Look at Mrs. Figg, for example. And despite the fact that he was a disagreeable old grouch, Argus Filch did have a special bond with Mrs. Norris." 

Harry glanced over at Bartleby, who was dozing peacefully while tucked into a corner of the armchair nearby. "But she's not even born yet. It just seems a little odd, that's all." 

"Well remember, she is a Potter." 

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You're saying Potters are odd?" 

She nudged him with her foot. "You know what I mean. She's special." Then she put her feet in his lap, and wiggled them to indicate she was ready for her nightly foot massage. Harry acquiesced as he always did, and as his fingers slowly began to work between her toes, Ginny reclined her head on the arm of the sofa and relaxed. 

"So, there was a reporter hanging around the practice field today," Harry remarked. Ginny noticed a slight increase in the pressure of his fingers. 

"Well that's nothing new, is it?" 

"No, not especially. Except for the fact that she was asking a lot of questions about the baby." 

"What sort of questions?" Ginny bristled. 

"Just about how I feel about having a squib, 'considering who I am'," Harry said bitterly. He continued to knead her foot, his jaw set tightly. "That, and what my reaction is to the fact that the Ministry doesn't recognize squib births, and how we'll treat her in relation to our 'more advanced children'. She kept insisting on having a sit-down interview. Finally the coach had her tossed off the grounds for disrupting practice." 

"'More advanced children'. What a load of rubbish, as if having a squib is something to be ashamed of!" Ginny abruptly sat up, and curled her hands around her belly. "Bloody hell, people can be so ruddy thick, it's infuriating. Who was the reporter?"

"Tabitha Hanks, from the Prophet. Why?" Harry added cautiously.

"Because I'm going to send her an owl," Ginny said resolutely.

"Let's not stir up any trouble. I'd rather just leave it."

"No, we're not going to just leave it. People have carried around these misconceptions about squibs for far too long – ourselves included – and it's time to set things right. So I'm going to suggest we have an interview." 

"What?" Harry sat bolt upright. "No. I'm not doing any bloody—"

"You don't have to do it, I will," Ginny said. Harry looked placated. Then she cut in, "No, wait. We should do it together." 

"Gin—"

"Harry, love, I’m sorry, I know you hate the press. Usually I would agree with you and just let them alone, or I'd take care of it myself. But this is different. We need to present a united front. Because if the press gets even the slightest hint that you're upset about the situation, they'll just run with it." 

"But I don’t feel that way—"

"Of course not. But if you don't show up for this interview they will think you do feel that way, and then nothing we say from then on to dispute it will make any difference. So, the sooner we get this out of the way, the better it will be for all of us." Ginny took his hand in hers, and squeezed it. "For the baby, Harry. I promise it'll be relatively painless." She winked.

"Yeah, all right." Harry managed a smile, and put his other hand on her belly, which he began to stroke gently. "Let me know when, and I'll be there." 

First thing the next morning, Ginny sent off an Owl to the Daily Prophet offices. She watched Hedwig dip into the valley and then rise up over the hills; her white feathers were soon camouflaged by the snow and the steel gray clouds and she soared out of sight. Not an hour later, as she was in the process of cleaning up the twins after breakfast, Hedwig returned bearing a response. 

"Mrs. Potter – 

It was a great pleasure to hear from you, and I appreciate your and your husband's willingness to take time to meet with me. With your permission I would like to stop by this afternoon at one o'clock. The interview should not take more than one hour. Again, I extend my sincere gratitude to you and your husband. I look forward to meeting you both. 

Sincerely, 

Tabitha Hanks   
Investigative Reporter, Daily Prophet"

 

* * * 

Tabitha Hanks arrived a few minutes before one o'clock, just after Ginny and Harry had put the fussy twins down for a nap. Tabitha was a slender witch who looked to be not much older than Ginny; she had dark brown hair that she wore in a conservative bun at the back of her head. She had on a two-piece blue linen skirt suit, and horn-rimmed glasses that reminded Ginny distinctly of Rita Skeeter. She also carried with her a strong wave of perfume, as well as a satchel laden with quills and notepads that made Ginny wonder just how much she was planning to write. 

"So, shall we get started?" she said brightly, quill poised over her notepad as she looked over at Harry and Ginny (but mostly at Harry, it seemed) who were seated opposite her on the sofa. Bartleby watched the reporter warily from his perch on the arm of the sofa nearest Ginny; his tail flicked back and forth, and his yellow eyes did not once leave her face. Ginny had the distinct feeling he didn't trust her, and she couldn't say she blamed him. She was immediately on her guard. 

"Might as well," Harry murmured thickly, looking for all the world like he would rather be fighting Death Eaters than sitting for an interview.

Ginny squeezed Harry's hand, which rested on her leg, and put on her best agreeable smile. "Yes, go ahead," she said, not at all liking the obvious interest the reporter was showing toward her husband. 

"First, let me just say that you look lovely today, Mrs. Potter." Tabitha said this with a sidelong look at Harry, as if hoping he would be pleased that she had complimented his wife. Harry sat expressionless, and said nothing.

"Thank you," Ginny said simply, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "And I'd really prefer to be called Ginny, if you don't mind."

"Certainly. Now, I would expect that from your magical background it came as quite an unpleasant shock to find out that your unborn child would be…would have no magical powers whatsoever. How did it make you feel, exactly? Mr. Potter…erm, Harry?"

"Mr. Potter," Harry said shortly. Ginny gave him another squeeze with her hand, cautioning him not to rise. "It was a surprise, yes, but I wouldn't say it was unpleasant, either. It's more important that the baby is healthy, which she is." 

"Oh, it's a girl! How sweet." Tabitha's quill was going a mile a minute; Ginny was itching to see what on earth could have filled two pages after only five minutes. "Have you come up with a name yet?"

"No," said Harry in a tone that also indicated he wouldn't tell her either way. Ginny felt his leg shift closer to hers. His shoulders stiffened in a defensive posture.

Bartleby crawled down from the arm of the sofa and stationed himself right next to Ginny's leg, where he curled up in a ball while still keeping his attention focused on Tabitha. The reporter seemed not to notice. "I see. And, how did it make you feel, Ginny?"

"Learning that we were having a squib –" she pretended not to notice the slightly increased pressure of Harry's hand in hers "-- was a surprise. But like Harry said, I would hardly call it unpleasant." 

"But considering that you're both from pureblood families – excuse me, I mean your family Ginny. But your mother was Muggleborn, Mr. Potter, is that correct?"

Harry tensed. "Yes, she was." 

Tabitha glanced at the notepad, on which the quill was still scribbling furiously. Ginny felt a rising sense of annoyance. "I don't quite see the relevance of our backgrounds," she said, using as pleasant a tone as she could muster. "Yes, obviously we would have expected all of our children to have magic, but we always knew there was a remote chance this would happen." 

"I understand, but given Mr. Potter's…reputation, and his—" 

"Celebrity?" Ginny said, barely maintaining her composure. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry sit up straight, his eyes shooting daggers. She knew that look; she'd seen it all too many times at Hogwarts, usually directed at Malfoy or the other Slytherins. "Pardon me, but I don't see how his past has anything to do with this." 

Tabitha looked briefly startled, then cleared her throat and continued as if Ginny hadn't said anything. "Yes, well what I meant to say was that as someone in the public eye, were you at all concerned about the public's perception to you raising a non-magical child?"

Harry looked as though he would lunge across the table; if he wanted to, he could send any random object flying across the room at the reporter, but Ginny hoped he wouldn't. The last thing they needed was that to make the front page of the papers. She'd called this interview to talk about the baby, and that was what she was going to do. 

"Truthfully, yes. However, not because we were overly concerned about what people would think of us. Rather our concern was that due to all the misconceptions and stigma attached to squibs that our child would be subjected to unnecessary prejudice."

"And what prejudices are those?"

"For one, the fact that the Ministry of Magic chooses not to recognize squib births in their registries. Some apparently believe that this gives squibs inferior status and they are not entitled to the same things as full witches and wizards." 

"But considering that squibs have no magical ability, wouldn't you say--?"

"Absolutely not. They are capable of contributing to society just as much as anyone else," Harry snapped. 

Ginny felt Bartleby's fur bristling against her leg. He emitted a low, barely audible snarl. "Miss Hanks, I don’t—"

"Oh, please do call me Tabitha," the reporter said in a sweet falsetto voice. She bestowed a smile in Ginny's direction, then returned her attention to Harry. 

"Tabitha," Ginny continued drolly, and waited for the other witch to turn her attention back to her before she continued, "I don't mean to be rude, but I granted this interview in the hopes that it might provide a forum for other squibs, or parents and families of squibs, and open some doors for them. I would rather not listen to stereotypes. It is assumptions like these, and how they affect our child's future, that made me feel it was necessary to speak out. I can just as easily take this to another news organization."

"So, do you plan on challenging the Ministry's policy on not recognizing squib births?" Tabitha continued, after a long pause in which another notepad came out of the bookbag, and her quill continued to write on it furiously without interruption. Ginny had half a mind to Accio both notepads just to get a glimpse of what she assumed were less-than-complimentary notes. She was beginning to regret her decision to have the interview; she had a feeling that it was going to do more harm than good.

"Well, while we wouldn't take our challenge to them directly, we would certainly hope to make it understood that we'd expect full and equal recognition for our child, and for all other squibs." 

"I see. What if the Ministry is not prepared to provide that recognition?" 

"Well, it's not up to the Ministry how we should be expected to raise our child, now, is it?" Harry said heatedly. "Whether they like it or not, squibs do play a part in the wizarding world. By simply pretending they don't exist the Ministry thinks that they can sweep them under the bloody rug. Well, they've got another thing coming, if that's what they expect." 

"Mr. Potter, you have a rather extensive history of disagreements with the Ministry. Do you anticipate that your opposition to their policies on squibs might affect your status as a professional quidditch player?" 

Harry's face turned beet red, and he bolted to his feet. "Are you implying that the Ministry intends to interfere in my career if I disagree with them in favor of my own child?" he demanded, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. The teacup on the table in front of Tabitha began to shake, and Bartleby sat up, his fur standing on end. 

"I'm sorry, Tabitha, but this interview is over," Ginny said, with a forceful look at the reporter while she kept one hand on Bartleby's back. 

Ginny noticed that the pages on the notepad were flipping rapidly as the quill wrote a constant stream of notes. She grew more annoyed with every passing second, and finally she blurted, "I'm afraid I have to insist that you stop writing, and leave now."

"Yes, of course." Tabitha seemed completely nonplussed as she took an appraising look around the room, her eyes resting a few seconds longer on a still livid Harry. Then she deposited her quill and notepads in her satchel, and stood up, doing a quick anti-wrinkle charm on her skirt. "Thank you for your time, I will be sure to Owl you an advance copy of the article," she added. Then with what Ginny took to be a condescending smile, she Apparated out of the room. Not a moment later, the distinct sound of the awakening twins could be heard wafting down from upstairs.

"Bloody hell!" Harry fumed, startling Bartleby, who leapt off the sofa and shot him an indignant look before skulking off to the kitchen. "I can't wait to see what sort of rubbish they print in that bloody article now," he snapped acidly. "But I'd like to see the Ministry try to manipulate me again. Just bloody try it." 

"Harry, please calm down. Let's take care of the babies, and then we can talk about this--"

But before she could finish, Harry had already stalked away toward the stairs, and his angry footsteps reverberated through the house as he went up to the nursery. 

"Harry, look, I'm sorry about this. It didn't quite go the way I'd hoped—" she followed him into the nursery, where he was helping James out of his crib. 

"That's an understatement, isn't it?" Harry said shortly, without looking at her. He went to get Sarah, who was holding up her arms and whining at him. "I told you it wasn't a good idea to talk to the press, now, didn't I?"

"Don't take that tone with me. You know I only did it because I thought it would help our cause."

"Oh, so it's a 'cause' now?"

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Ginny snapped, as Sarah toddled over to her and grabbed onto her legs. 

"Exactly what you think it means," Harry retorted, rounding on her. "This is all you bloody think about now, it's all you can bloody talk about."

"Well excuse me for giving a damn about our baby's future, Harry!" 

"That's not the point!"

"So what is the point, then? We just pretend she's not a squib?"

"Of course not, but why does it have to take over every part of our lives? We don't have to focus on it all-the-bloody-TIME! We do have other children, in case you had forgotten!" 

Sarah began to wail while clinging to Ginny's legs, and James joined in, so there was a cacophony of noise that seemed to come at Ginny from all directions. She looked from her crying children to her husband, who was trembling with frustration; then she pried her daughter's hands off her legs, and she stormed out of the room with tears streaming down her face. 

"Gin, come on now I'm sorry--!"

But she didn't listen; she slammed the bedroom door behind her, and sealed it with a double-locking charm.


	17. What's Best for Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny does some extensive soul-searching in the aftermath of the disastrous interview. Tabitha Hanks's article is published, leaving a mess of trouble in its wake.

She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing Ginny knew the room was cast in the soft haze of evening. The house was quiet. It had resumed snowing at some point, and it was now coming down steadily outside the window. She got up from bed and went to look, feeling groggy and disoriented. At the window, she was met with a sea of white; the snow was at least a foot deep. 

Then she remembered what had transpired earlier that day, and her heart sank. Sighing, she closed her eyes and let the silence envelop her. The interview had been an awful mistake, she should have known it wouldn't work; she could only imagine the firestorm that would follow the article's release. But at the time, all she'd been able to think about was the welfare of her baby. As if sensing her thoughts, Gwendolyn moved inside Ginny's belly; it was a smooth, fluid motion that was calming to her agitated mother. Ginny curled her arms around her stomach, and stroked it with her hands. She whispered her baby's name and managed a vague smile.

She hated fighting with Harry; and worse, they'd fought in front of Sarah and James. She hated this whole situation, and what it was doing to them. "I know it's not your fault," she said quietly to the baby, while staring out at the snow. "I just wish…I wish…" 

That things were different, that you weren't a squib…She let the thoughts come freely, feeling horrible as they came; yet intermingled with that was a sense of relief. Perhaps it wasn't Harry that was having the most trouble with the concept of raising a squib; maybe it really was her, after all. Was she ashamed? She looked down at the crest of her belly, and her eyes brimmed with tears. How could she be ashamed, this was her child. Was Tabitha Hanks right, did she really care too much about what other people would think? She'd never been that way before; she'd never cared what people thought of her. But she was a mum now. She wasn't only thinking of herself anymore. 

"I love you, baby," she murmured, her voice quavering. "God, I just love you so much I don't know what to do." 

Suddenly she felt an intrinsic need to be with Harry, and the twins. It swelled over her like a giant wave, and came crashing down, almost smothering her. She released the double-locking charm on the door and passed quietly down the hall. The twins weren't in their beds when she peeked her head in the nursery; she felt an instinctive flicker of alarm, but was immediately calmed by the sound of low voices and sounds coming from downstairs. 

But it wasn't Harry she found in the living room; it was Hermione and Ron, who sat together on the sofa, talking quietly. Ron had a bottle of Butterbeer in his hand, while Hermione was working on a cup of tea . Off in the corner near the window, Liam and the twins were playing within the parameters of their playspace. Nearby, Bartleby was curled up by the fireplace watching them intently. 

"Where's Harry?" Ginny asked, making little effort to conceal her disappointment at his absence. 

"Oh! Ginny, how are you feeling?" Hermione got to her feet immediately, set down her tea, and came over to her. She put an arm around Ginny's shoulder and walked with her to the sofa.

"I've been better. Where's Harry?" Ginny repeated the question.

"He didn't say where he was going, he just asked if we'd stay with the twins for awhile, because you weren't feeling well," Ron said. He stood up to make a space for her on the sofa, then took the armchair instead. James and Sarah looked up, smiled and babbled at her when they saw her, so Ginny smiled in return, and gave them a little wave. Then the twins were quickly drawn back into their game.

"They've been fed already," Hermione said, with a glance toward the babies. "We thought we'd let them play for awhile before putting them to bed."

"Thanks, Hermione. What time did Harry leave?" Ginny asked, as Hermione helped her onto the sofa. Not long afterward, Bartleby got up, stretched, and promptly curled up between her and Hermione.

"Would you like something to eat? I brought over some shepherd's pie. It's your mum's recipe—" 

"Maybe later. What time did Harry leave?" Ginny directed the question instead to Ron, who looked mildly uncomfortable. 

"About three hours ago," he replied. "He looked pretty upset, too." 

"Thanks," Ginny said thickly. "I suppose he told you about our row, then?"

"He mentioned that," Hermione admitted, as she sat down next to Ginny. She took her hand comfortingly. "But mostly he talked about that awful reporter, and the things she said about you and the baby, and then implying that Harry's career was being threatened."

"That interview was not one of my better ideas. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. Harry just about blew his top, and I can't say that I blame him for it. I'd be bloody ticked at myself, too. But I had good intentions." 

"I'm sure you did, Ginny…" Hermione squeezed her hand. Ginny noticed her exchange a concerned look with Ron.

"But you think it was a bad idea, too, right?" Ginny said flatly. She looked from Hermione to Ron, then her eyes rested on the three babies, playing unconcernedly in the corner. 

"Well perhaps it wasn't the best…I think that given Harry's past experiences with the press—" 

"Right. Well, I suppose I simply underestimated the natural instinct for human compassion. But it seems everyone's just out for themselves, aren't they? It's not just Tabitha Hanks or the Ministry for Magic. Hell, it's even me. I let my own agenda get ahead of my family's needs. I should have listened to Harry, but I was so focused on getting the word out that nothing else mattered." 

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Gin. You're just looking out for the baby," Ron offered. "I'm sure that even Harry understands that." 

"Yes, I was looking out for the baby." Ginny's eyes welled with tears as she watched Sarah and James interacting peacefully with their cousin. It really was remarkable how rarely they had disagreements."It seems that's all I do these days." 

"What are you on about?" Ron said.

"I'm on about N.A.P.S., about all the planning for Gwen's future…I haven't thought once about the twins, or worried about their future. And Harry, well…he's been listening to me come up with these plans, and he's been going along with it, being supportive and everything that he's expected to do. But what I really wish is that he'd given me a good swift kick in the pants a long time ago." 

"I think he knows better than that," Ron said good-naturedly, and even Hermione's mouth twitched. 

"Really, Ginny, the fact that you haven't spent as much time worrying about the twins doesn't mean you're a bad mum. You simply feel more confident about your abilities in raising them, because they're—" 

"—normal." Ginny finished the sentence. 

"I never said that," Hermione insisted, looking flustered.

"No, you didn't. But I did. I'm just as bad as everyone else. I can't accept my child for who she is." 

"Oh, that's not true." 

"Hermione, I know you mean well, but it is true." Ginny got up from the sofa, dismissing Hermione's offer of assistance, and walked over to the playspace. Sarah got up, balancing herself on wobbly legs, and lifted her arms to be picked up; her face lit up with such a beautiful smile that it made Ginny want to cry. 

She bent and picked up the baby, which wasn't easy with her swollen belly. Then she set Sarah down on the floor, and eased herself down along with her daughter. Delighted at being able to see eye-to-eye with Ginny, Sarah immediately began to play with the necklace dangling around Ginny's neck. 

"I spend all of my time on projects, and making plans, and I can't simply enjoy the idea of being a good mum," Ginny went on, her eyes still focused completely on Sarah. The little girl was completely focused on the necklace, fingering it with quiet intensity. That intensity reminded Ginny immediately of Harry.

"But N.A.P.S. is a good thing, it will help a lot of other parents just like you. You really ought to keep those lines of communication open," Hermione said hopefully.

"Hermione, I think you ought to lay off the N.A.P.S. thing for awhile. There are more important things—" Ron started, but Ginny put up her hand. 

"Thanks, Ron. But I'm not giving up N.A.P.S." She gave her brother a grateful smile. "I just won't let it take over my life, that's all." Then she cast a look out the window at the still falling snow, and felt a twinge of worry. Harry had been gone nearly four hours now; she wondered where he could have gone. When he was angry, he was capable of just about anything.

Hermione and Ron stayed for another hour, and helped Ginny put the twins to bed. Then they took home a fussy Liam, who didn't want to part with his cousins, and Ginny took a shower and prepared herself a small meal with the leftover shepherd's pie that Hermione had brought. Then she sat on the sofa with Bartleby to wait for Harry. 

Just when she thought she would go insane with worry, and was about to send an owl to Ron asking him to go out and look for Harry, he appeared in the entranceway, holding his broom and wearing a long wool cape and gloves over a sweater and jeans. It was almost nine o'clock. His hair and shoulders were dusted with snow, and his face was red with the cold. 

"Where'd you go?" she asked, while watching him remove his cape and gloves, then store his broom away in the closet. 

"Nowhere, really," Harry replied. "Just needed to get out for awhile, and do some flying." 

"For seven hours? I was worried." She got to her feet. 

"I'm sorry," he said, and did a quick-drying spell on his boots. "I stopped in at Lupin's as well, for a bit. I didn't mean to worry you, it's just-- well, I think better when I'm flying, and I came to the conclusion that I'm a giant git. I should have been more understanding. The situation is hard enough without us turning on each other, and besides, I bloody hate it when we fight." A small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he approached her, and took her hands. "I didn't mean any of those things." 

"Yes, you did." 

"Gin, I—" 

But before he could finish, she kissed him. His lips were cold and dry, and slightly chapped. "You didn't put a wind-repelling charm on your face in this weather?" she chided him gently. "I'll have to warm you up." 

Harry smiled, a wonderful sexy smile that made her heart flutter. "I'd like that," he said. "But first, I think we should talk some more, get everything out in the open. I don't want us ever to fight like that about our children again." 

"Neither do I." Ginny put her arms around his neck. 

"And I didn't mean what I said." 

"Yes, you did, Harry. But it's all right," she added quickly, upon seeing him about to interrupt her. "I've become utterly obsessed with this, and it's not fair to you, or to James and Sarah. I'm sorry," she said, lightly tracing her fingers along his cheekbones. "For everything, especially for making you do the interview."

Harry's face clouded at the memory. "I suppose we should prepare for some fallout," he said.

Ginny frowned. "I expect so."

"Let me manage it. I don't want you to worry about anything."

"Harry now, come on—" She was cut off by the feeling of his mouth over hers, his tongue sliding between her teeth. He ran his hands up and down her arms, and he pulled her as close as he could with her belly between them. 

"Do you want to?" he murmured, as he bent to kiss her ear. 

"Do I want to what?" she smiled, feeling a rush of tingling warmth up her spine as he rubbed her back.

"What do you think?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

Ginny giggled, and kissed him. "If you mean, do I want to shag, you bet your sweet arse I do."

"I was hoping you'd say that. Because as much as I hate fighting, I love making up. Shall we?" he gestured toward the stairs. 

"Lead the way." Ginny took his hand, and followed him upstairs, where they shed their clothes and got into bed, and Harry made love to her slowly and tenderly before they fell asleep, with him spooned comfortably against her back.

* * * 

"CANNONS STAR POTTER CONDEMNS MINISTRY FOR 'ANTI-SQUIB POLICIES'"

The headline screamed at Ginny as she unfurled the advance copy of the Daily Prophet from the leg of the brown owl that came to the window the following morning. Beneath the headline was the caption: "In a Daily Prophet Exclusive with investigative reporter Tabitha Hanks, Harry Potter and his wife Ginny open up about the pain and stigma of raising a squib child in a world of magic."

"Boy, she certainly didn't waste any time, did she?" Ginny muttered acidly. She was positively dreading reading the rest of the article, and it took every ounce of energy she had to restrain her temper in front of James and Sarah as her eyes flicked back and forth down the page.

"It seems that yet again, Harry Potter has a bone to pick with the Ministry of Magic. In a sit-down interview at his charming little cottage in Godric's Hollow on Saturday, the Quidditch star fired off at the Ministry policy of not recognizing squib births in their registries. Potter and his wife, Ginny Weasley Potter, daughter of ranking Ministry official Arthur Weasley, who are already parents to gifted 14 month-old twins, James Arthur and Sarah Lily Potter, recently learned the "surprising" and devastating news that their soon-to-be-born daughter (who has yet to be named), due in March, will possess no magical ability. This news came as a shock to the Potters, considering their magical background. Despite the fact that Harry comes from Muggleborn parentage (on his late mother's side), his abilities are of course very well-known in the wizarding world as the conqueror of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

"It's not up to the Ministry how we should be expected to raise our child",Potter stated, and went on to say that he and his wife plan to fight for 'full and equal recognition for [their] child, and for all squibs." It seems that they have already taken steps in that direction; specifically, in the form of the N.A.P.S. Organization (Network for Assisting Parents of Squibs), recently founded by Ginny Weasley Potter as a springboard for squib families to air their grievances. [It is reported that Ministry employee Hermione Granger Weasley, who is on the management track at the Office of Muggle Relations, and who also happens to be Mrs. Potter's sister-in-law, played a prominent role in the formation of this Organization. Neither Mrs. Granger Weasley or the Office of Muggle Relations could be reached for comment at press time.]

"Whether they like it or not, squibs do play a part in the wizarding world. By simply pretending they don't exist the Ministry thinks that they can sweep them under the bloody rug. Well, they've got another thing coming, if that's what they expect," Potter said in a threatening manner. In this reporter's unbiased opinion, Potter appears determined to use his position as star Seeker for the Chudley Cannons to further this cause. Owls to the Chudley Cannons coach Albert Bigsby for comment on this potentially damaging situation were not responded to at press time; however an official at the Office of Magical Games and Sports who asked not to be named, has expressed concern over the possible effects this will have on the stability of the professional quidditch league, and recommends that the Office conduct its own internal investigation.

Admitting that she was unhappy about the public's perception of their child, Ginny Weasley Potter went on to elaborate about their mutual "concern about what people would think of them", and expressed considerable worry about the perceived "misconceptions" and "prejudices" that awaited them and their child. The idea that squibs are considered a minority in the magical world does not appear to matter to the newly-minted Squib activists, who abruptly called an end to the interview when confronted with the reality about their chances of creating equality for their disadvantaged daughter.

There has been no official comment from the Ministry of Magic's registration department at this time, although a source claims that the chances of the registry's parameters being changed are 'highly unlikely, even for Harry Potter' "

Moments after she finished reading, another unfamiliar spotted owl came to rest on the windowsill. Ginny muttered curses under her breath as she unfastened the parchment from the bird's leg, and gave it the obligatory owl treat. When the bird did not immediately depart, she understood it meant that the correspondence would require a reply, and she soon noticed why; the parchment was closed with an unmistakable bright orange seal bearing the symbol of the Chudley Cannons.

Instantly Ginny felt a trickle of dread; she rolled her eyes upward, to where Harry was taking a shower. This could not be good news, if the team was already sending an official response to an article that hadn't even been published yet. 

"Bloody hell," she sighed, and sank into a chair. This was going to be worse than she thought.


	18. Baby Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout from Tabitha's article plagues Harry and Ginny, who decide to take some time alone.

"Hello, love." Harry came downstairs after his shower, and smiled at Ginny, who still sat at the table holding the rolled up parchment. He paused to fuss over the twins, who were in their playspace. "How are my little geniuses? Yes, you're just brilliant, aren't you? Brilliant and bloody gorgeous. Yes…" The twins giggled and squealed, and each of them reached for his glasses, which was a favorite game of theirs. Harry easily darted away from their enthusiastic hands.

Not wanting to spoil the moment between Harry and the babies, Ginny watched him lean over the playspace and tickle each one of them; when he was preoccupied with James, Sarah made a sneaky grab and pulled the glasses halfway off his face. 

"Ow! Hey, you've got Seeker hands there now, don't you?" Harry grinned as he fixed his glasses, and blew a raspberry kiss against Sarah's cheek, which made his daughter giggle. Then he turned around to look at Ginny, with a broad smile on his face.

But then he saw the expression on Ginny's face, and the smile faded. His eyes darted to the unrolled parchment on the table, then the smaller one in her hand. Judging by the set in his jaw, he recognized the orange seal. "So it came, then," he said, and approached the table. "How bad is it?"

"This is the advance copy," Ginny said, and handed him the parchment as he sank into a chair next to her. "It doesn't make us look too good, but it's not like we weren't expecting it. You're using your celebrity to get what you want, and N.A.P.S. is just a forum for me to spread anti-Ministry propaganda. She's even thrown Dad, and Hermione in the mix for good measure. I should owl them so they know what's coming. I feel awful about this." 

Harry frowned, then sighed, and looked down at the parchment. Ginny watched his eyes dart back and forth across the page; his expression grew harder and angrier the further on he read. His fingers gripped the paper so tightly that his fingertips turned white.

"Rubbish!" he spewed, then crumpled the parchment in his hands. A moment later it ignited in a small blast of fire, then disintegrated. He dropped his head into his palms and leafed his fingers through his messy black bangs, then took off his glasses and dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and mumbled something that sounded to Ginny like "bloody pricks".

"So do you want to see the other one?" Ginny said cautiously, and handed over the rolled parchment with the orange seal. 

Harry looked up. "Might as well get it over with," he muttered, and she handed it to him. 

"What does it say?" Ginny asked, tracing a finger around the rim of her cup as she watched him read.

Harry's jaw set, and he pursed his lips. "Oh hell," he muttered. "They want to have a press conference tomorrow." 

"What for?" Ginny resisted the urge to snatch the parchment from his hands; but she leaned forward, as if that would help her to see what he was reading. 

"Looks like the Ministry is breathing down their necks, and they think the only way to smooth things over is for me to make an announcement about how I support the Ministry and their policies. They say it's for the 'good of the team'." 

"Support the Ministry, for the 'good of the team'?" Ginny nearly spat out her tea. "That's rubbish! Just tell them you won't do it. It's ridiculous. What are they going to do, sack you? You've brought in more revenue for the Cannons in the last few months than they've ever seen. If they're stupid enough to sack you, then just go to another team." 

Harry proceeded to crumple up the parchment, then disintegrated it. Without him having to say a word, Ginny could see his inner turmoil. She sighed, and reached over to take his hand. "Do whatever you think is right," she said. "I'll stand by you." 

"They're forcing me to choose between two things that I love most – my family, and Quidditch. If I say what I really feel, I will lose my spot on the team. Or at the very least, they'll suspend me. If I lie, then I won't be able to live with myself. Bloody Ministry, those bloody pricks—" he remembered the twins were nearby, and he cut himself off. But his eyes were flaming, and his face was red. He kicked his foot against the table. "This isn't right, Gin. It's not right, and it's not fair."

Ginny frowned, as she felt a sense of frustration and rage building up within her. She looked over at the sitting room, where the twins were playing contentedly in their playspace and Bartleby was napping by the fire, and ran her hand gently up and down the swell of her stomach. Tears stung her eyes. "Do it," she said, finally.

"Do what?"

"Do the press conference. Tell them what they want to hear. We'll explain to friends and family later; they'll understand. There's no good reason for you to give up Quidditch."

Harry looked visibly stunned, then his face melted into a soft but sad expression. He squeezed her hand, then leaned over to kiss her. "I love you," he said. "But I'm not doing it." 

"Harry—"

"No, Gin. I've made up my mind. I'll go to the press conference, but I'm simply going to tell them the same things I told that reporter. If they don't like it, well they can ruddy well kick me off the team. I'm not going to lie to safe face in front of those…" he lowered his voice "…bloody pricks. Nothing's more important than you, and our family." 

Ginny smiled, despite the tears welling up in her eyes. A dull, persistent ache opened in her chest. "If they're stupid enough to throw you off the team, then they don't deserve you," she said quietly. 

"Listen, I was thinking – how would you like to get away to Dover, remember, the place we went to when the twins were little?" 

"How could I forget?" Ginny glanced down at her belly. "That sounds fantastic. But what about the twins?"

"I'll ask your mum to watch them for a couple of days. Once I'm done with the press conference, we'll pack a few things and go. Things are probably going to be pretty chaotic for awhile, and with the baby coming soon this might be our last chance to have some alone time." Harry kissed her, and tucked a lock of hair over her ear. "Don't worry about anything, love. I'll take care of it. It'll be fine." 

Ginny knew that by that last he meant more than just the trip. "I hate that you have to do this, Harry," she said, her voice rising. "You deserve to be happy. You've done so much for these people and this is how they repay you—"

He quieted her with a kiss. "You know that if I had a choice between you and the babies, and playing Quidditch, it wouldn't even be a choice." 

"But why does it have to be a choice at all? You shouldn't have to choose what you love most. Bloody pricks." 

Then, from a few feet away, a high-pitched voice said: "Buddy Picks." 

Ginny covered her mouth to keep from bursting out laughing. She looked at Harry, whose eyes were already tearing up as he fought to keep from laughing, then over at the twins; while Sarah was occupied poking her fingers at Bartleby through the confines of the playspace, James had pulled himself up on the railing and was staring right at them with a proud smile on his face. 

"That's my boy," Harry said, just before he burst out laughing. A moment later, Ginny joined him. 

* * * 

While Harry was off at the press conference the next morning, Ginny eased her nerves by asking Mum over to sit with her and the twins for awhile before she and Harry would be leaving for Dorset. While they sat on the sofa, she spilled her heart out to her Mum over tea and homemade treacle tarts. She talked about the interview; her own feelings of guilt over Harry's predicament, and her frustration with the Ministry. She positively dreaded telling Mum about Dad's mention in the article in the Prophet, which had arrived via special post owl earlier that morning. She tapped her fingers anxiously on the table as Mum read it.

Molly set down the paper and calmly put her hand over Ginny's to stop the tapping. "It's all right, love," she said. 

"But what about Dad, he could get in trouble."

"If we had a galleon for every time your father has run afoul of someone at the Ministry, we would have a small fortune. Honestly dear, it is nothing to worry about. He will be fine."

"I really should have told you, and Ron and Hermione about the interview before I went ahead with it."

"We're so proud of what you and Harry are doing, Ginny. You have nothing to apologize for. It's awful what the Ministry is doing, and there's really nothing I can say about the Daily Prophet that hasn't already been said. But I have no doubt that you'll come through just fine."

Ginny smiled, reassured in a way that only her mother could make her feel. "Thanks, Mum."

"You're welcome, dear. Now, have you packed for the trip?"

"No, not yet. It's only for two days, I don't think I'll need much." 

"Nonsense! Now, come with me." Molly got up, and lifted both of the twins out of their playspace and set them on the floor. They cooed and babbled excitedly at her. "Let's go get mummy packed for her trip, shall we? Then we'll play a game."

"Buddy Picks!" James announced triumphantly. As she covered her mouth to stifle her giggles, it struck Ginny that he looked exactly has Harry did whenever he caught the snitch. 

Molly looked taken aback. She shot a concerned glance at Ginny, who was still trying hard not to laugh out loud. "What was that?" she said.

"N-Nothing mum." 

"Picks!" Sarah mimicked her brother, green eyes dancing with delight. She waved her arms around, and suddenly the toy snitch, which had been resting on the mantle, sprung to life and began to whizz around the room. Bartleby, who had been dozing by the fireplace, leapt to his feet and chased the snitch, bounding onto the windowsill, then the armchair, and even into the twins' playspace in his energetic, but futile attempt to catch it.

"Did they just say--?" Molly's eyes widened, then narrowed as she looked at her daughter. 

With a quick flick of her wand, Ginny brought the snitch back down onto the mantle, then got to her feet. Disappointed, the twins frowned. Sarah toddled over to Ginny and lifted her arms. "Yes, they did," she said, as she maneuvered her daughter onto her almost non-existent hip. Sarah patted Ginny's belly and smiled. "Now, how about we go pack?"

"Ginny, you really ought to watch what words you use around the babies. They pick up everything you say."

"I know, Mum. It was an accident."

As she and Mum took the twins upstairs, Ginny smiled to herself. It had felt so good to laugh, and to see her babies happy; for a precious few moments Ginny hadn't thought about the interview, the Ministry, or the press conference, or anything else that had plagued her over the last weeks. The only thing that would have made the scene more perfect would have been if Harry had been there to see it.

 

* * * *

Harry was in a towering temper when he returned from the press conference just before noon, so Ginny was thankful that she and Mum had put the twins down for a nap before he got home. He saw the Daily Prophet on the table and promptly torched it with his wand, then rattled off a series of curse words and slammed his fists into the wall before he realized that Molly was there, too, and he pulled himself back awkwardly. His cheeks flushed.

"Are you all right, Harry dear?" Molly asked.

"What happened?" Ginny asked, tentatively. 

"You don't want to know," Harry said thickly. He yanked the Cannons sweater over his head and threw it down on the table with his wand, then went to the ice box and retrieved a bottle of Butterbeer which he opened and then took three long swallows. 

A moment later, Hermione Apparated into the room with a "pop", looking frantic. She shrugged off her jacket, and laid it across the back of a nearby chair. "Harry, why didn't you wait for me? I said I wanted to come with you." 

"Hermione, I already said I don't want to talk about it." 

Hermione looked around at Molly, then at Ginny. Her face was filled with worry. "I sat in on the press conference," she explained. "I found out about it completely by accident, so I managed to get away from the office for a bit." 

Utterly exasperated, Harry stalked into the living room and flopped down on the sofa, putting his legs up on the coffee table. He shot a look at Ginny that clearly indicated he would much rather they were alone; she simply shrugged and shook her head. 

"What happened?" she repeated, as she eased herself down on the sofa next to him. Hermione took the armchair, and Molly hovered near the fireplace. 

"First off, it wasn't so much a press conference as it was a bloody Ministry ambush. All the media there were sympathetic to the Ministry, and then the Cannons' owner brought along gits from the Magical Games & Sports Office. Oh, and I might mention that officials from the Quidditch League were in attendance as well." 

"What on earth for?" Molly was aghast. 

"Granted they didn't stay long, just to make an 'official' statement to the press, and to tell me that I was off the team pending further inquiry, and that the other teams have been expressly forbidden to negotiate with me. They didn't even allow me time to make a statement! Bloody Cannons didn't say a word, just sat there like the Ministry puppets they are…the press was throwing accusations at me, barely let me get a word in edgewise."

Ginny clenched her fists, bubbling with anger. She glanced over at Hermione, who looked stricken. She was kneading the arms of the chair anxiously. Molly was wringing her hands, her brow furrowed, and she was pacing back and forth.

"This is simply not right!" Molly exclaimed. "Not at all! They can't do this." 

"Yes, Harry, you must have some sort of recourse," Hermione said. "They can't simply throw you off the team because you expressed opinions different from theirs! And without at least having a hearing first!" 

"It's like Fudge and Scrimgeour all over again," Ginny muttered, squaring her shoulders. She looked at Harry, whose rage had given way to stony silence. He stared glassy-eyed at the half-empty bottle in his hands. She put her hand on his wrist. "We're not going to sit back and take this." 

"First, you absolutely have to file an appeal against the Quidditch League," Hermione announced. "And then we'll file a grievance against that reporter." 

"For what, Hermione?" Harry shot out. "What's the bloody point?" 

But Hermione was not deterred. "You sat down to talk to her in good faith about an important and very personal issue, Harry. She manipulated your words to stir up trouble and to further her own career. That's not right, and she's not going to get away with it. Not if I have anything to say about it." 

"No," Harry said, and the three women looked at him in stunned silence. "I mean, you do whatever you want, Hermione. But the first thing we're going to do is get our things and go to Dorset where we'll take long walks, lie in bed together, and not think about any of this rubbish for the next two days." Harry looked into Ginny's eyes; there was such sadness in his face, it made her ache. 

"No," Molly said abruptly, and then Harry, Ginny, and Hermione turned to look at her in surprise. 

"Mum…" Ginny said, doing her best to keep her voice level and calm. She squeezed Harry's hand when she felt his body stiffen. "We've planned this out already, we're not going to—"

"No, of course you're not going to change your plans, love. You're going to extend them." 

"What?"

"I'll just tell your father I'm going to be here a bit longer than expected. Take as long as you want, both of you. You deserve the time away. We'll manage things here." Molly looked at Hermione, who nodded and smiled. "We won't tell a soul where you've gone. Not even your father."

"Yes, don't worry about a thing," Hermione added. "While you're away, I'll get to work on the legal matters. Meanwhile, I'm sure that Liam won't object to some extra play time with Sarah and James." 

"Now run off, you two! Don't waste any more time here," Molly shooed them toward the stairs. "I happen to know there's a train to Dorset leaving in about forty minutes."

Before going upstairs, Ginny went to hug her mum, and then Hermione. Tears of gratitude filled her eyes. "Thank you both so much," she said. One look at Harry told her that he felt the same way. 

"Yeah, thanks," he said with a quiet smile. Then he extended his hand to her, and they went upstairs together to get their things.


	19. Escaping Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ginny enjoy their much-needed escape from reality, until reality intrudes yet again.

In contrast to their previous visit, the weather was perfect when they arrived in Dorset. The sun was shining and the sky was clear, and there was a light comfortable breeze. No sooner had they stepped off the train, there was a distinct change in Harry's demeanor. He went from brooding silence to bright cheerfulness; his eyes lit up at the sight of the Inn, and it seemed to Ginny that he couldn't keep his hands off her, which of course she didn't mind in the least. 

"This was a fantastic idea," he said, as they dropped off their bags in the room on their way out for a walk on the beach. 

"Yes, it was," Ginny replied. "How long should we stay?"

"I d'know, let's play it by ear."

He went to the window, which he opened a couple of inches, and looked out at the water. From where she stood by the bed, Ginny caught a glimpse of his profile; he suddenly looked twelve years old again, which was the first time she'd seen him sitting at the dining table at the Burrow. He'd looked up at her and said "hello", just before she'd gone scurrying upstairs in her nightgown in embarrassment. She could have killed Mum for not warning her he was there. 

"What?" he said, catching her gaze. His cheeks flushed. 

"Nothing," she said, feeling warm and happy. It was so easy to forget everything now that they were miles away from all the trouble back home. She almost wanted to Floo Mum and have her bring James and Sarah, so the entire family could escape. She always missed her babies when she was away from them; at random moments, she would wonder how they were, and even though she knew they were under the best care of their grandmum she would worry about them just a little.

"You're missing the twins," Harry said knowingly. 

"Well yes, I am, but I'll get over it. I'm so glad that you and I get to be alone for awhile." Then the baby rustled contentedly inside her belly. Ginny put her hands on the spot where she'd felt her move. "Well, almost alone." 

Harry smiled softly, then crossed the room to where she stood. He took her face in his hands and kissed her; it was a long, deep kiss that made her heart flutter and her knees weak. It reminded her of their very first afternoon together by the lake. His tongue slipped between her teeth, circling the inside of her mouth, and his hands dropped down her arms to her lower back which he began to gently massage as the kiss progressed. 

"God, I love you so much," he breathed, as his lips traveled to her ear, and then down her neck. 

"I know." She smiled and closed her eyes, focusing only on the sensation of his lips touching her skin. 

"Do you still want to take that walk by the water?" he asked.  
She guided his hand away from her back, and moved it just beneath her belly, between her legs. He applied gentle pressure there with the heel of his hand, and she gave a gasp of pleasure. 

"Me either," he said, and slowly backed her toward the bed. They made love slowly to the backdrop of the soft ocean breeze and faint sound of waves breaking on the shore below, then fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * * 

After waking from their nap they changed and ventured downstairs, where the inn's proprietor graciously set them up with a private table on the far end of the patio. It was near sunset, and the sky was awash with brilliant shades of pink and orange. At Harry's request, they were being left completely alone. Wait staff only came to the table if they were specifically asked.

"How do you do it?" Ginny asked, sneaking a glance at her husband from across the table as she took a sip of her water.

Harry looked up, fork poised halfway to his mouth. "Do what?" he asked.

"Make me feel like everything's going to be all right, even when the world seems to be coming down around us." 

"It's easy." He set down his fork, reached across the table and took her hand, their fingers intertwining. "Everything is going to be all right, because we're together. No matter what happens, that will never change." 

"Wow, that was a good answer, Potter." She smiled, and leaned forward. He stood up, leaning forward, and they shared a kiss over the table. His breath smelled of butterbeer. "And you're right, that will never change," she added.

"Now I have a question for you," he said. 

"What's that?"

"Do you know how beautiful you look right after we shag?" 

"Well I wouldn't know, since I've never looked at myself in the mirror the second we finish shagging," she said, feeling her cheeks flush hot as she recalled the feeling of his fingers inside her, and his mouth on hers. There was a familiar stirring between her legs, which she quieted quickly with her finger. "But I'll take your word for it. Although I do know how beautiful I feel right after we shag, even when I weigh a ton and my stomach looks like a balloon." 

"Well actually, it's not a matter of contention. You really are beautiful." Harry's eyes softened. 

"Harry, are you trying to get lucky again? Because if you are, you're doing a very good job." 

"I'm already lucky," Harry said, winking at her over the curve of her fingers as he kissed them. 

"Luck has nothing to do with it," Ginny said quietly. "You want to go back upstairs?"

"You read my mind." 

* * * 

It was like their honeymoon all over again. Harry was extremely focused as he peeled off her clothes; then, once they were both naked, he cupped her plump, tender breasts in his hands. They were heavy and cumbersome to Ginny, but as he fondled them and stroked them he made them seem light as a feather. He bent to kiss each one, taking first the right breast and then the left breast in his mouth. She sighed, her knees weakening as she sought purchase on the bed to keep from losing her balance. He followed her onto the bed, spooning beside her. 

All the romantic pretense he'd shown at dinner had all but vanished. He simply wanted sex, and she responded willingly. While his mouth was occupied with her breasts, his hand went between her legs, fondling her. 

"How are you feeling, all right?" he murmured, as he lifted his head to look at her with a soft smile. 

"Perfect," she replied. As if echoing her sentiment, the baby moved inside her. It was one of those moments when everything was as it should be. There was so much love in the room with them right then, that it was almost overwhelming. She lifted her hand, and cupped it against his face. He nuzzled her palm, then turned to kiss it, sending waves of tickling warmth down her arm and into her belly, where the baby once again moved comfortingly. 

"Seems like our little girl is feeling good, too," she said, and one hand fell to her belly. She began to stroke it lightly, focusing on the spot where the baby had moved seconds before. Harry put his hand on hers and squeezed it; for a long time, all they did was move their hands together in small circles around the crest of her belly and over her navel. 

"I can't wait until she's here," Harry said, then kissed her belly. Ginny felt a sense of calm wash over her. She thought of the twins, wondered how they were doing, and felt a strong desire to pick them up and kiss them all over. 

Then her eyes welled with tears. She wanted so much for all of their frustrations to just disappear; all the nonsense with the news article, and Harry's troubles with the Quidditch League. If she could, she would banish them all into oblivion. 

"What's wrong, love?" Harry looked up when he heard the slight intake of her breath. 

"Nothing. Don't stop. Just make love to me, Harry." She looked into his eyes almost pleadingly. 

So he eased himself inside her, and she let out a small gasp. He rolled his upper body forward just a little bit, for deeper penetration. Intermingling with the sounds of their lovemaking was the rustle of the breeze outside, and the barely audible sound of waves hitting the shoreline. Every once in awhile the sound of a voice would waft up from the patio. They came together, then he fell beside her, spooned his body against hers, and they fell asleep. 

* * * 

The next morning, after checking in with Molly and the twins by Floo Network – which made Ginny feel particularly emotional – she and Harry had a leisurely breakfast on the patio, which they had all to themselves thanks to a guided tour of Weymouth that had started earlier that morning. 

"I love it here," Ginny said, taking a deep breath as she laid down her fork. "Not as much as Godric's Hollow, but we ought to come here more often, with the babies." 

Harry smiled. "Yeah, we should. It's a lovely place. Imagine how much James and Sarah would love playing by the water." 

"They never have seen a body of water before, have they? Other than the river." 

"Well, we'll just have to show them, then." Harry squeezed her hand on the table. 

"Definitely." 

"I know you miss them," Harry said. "Do you want to go back?"

"No. I want us to stay here and enjoy each other." 

"Are you sure? I saw the way you were this morning when we talked to the twins on the Floo, and how hard it was for you to say goodbye to them." 

"Oh, I bloody hate being away from them," Ginny admitted with a small smile. "But we need this time, Harry. There's a lot coming up, and we have to be ready for it." 

At this, Harry's face clouded, and he loosened his grip on her hand, leaning back in his chair with shoulders slumped. "I'm tired of fighting," he said abruptly, startling her. "I've been fighting my entire life, Gin. I don't want to do it any more. I just want to be happy, raise our kids with you, play Quidditch, be with our friends, and have a long life together without the Ministry, the Quidditch League, or anyone else breathing down my neck. Is that too much to ask?" 

"I know. I'm sorry, I wish it didn't have to be like this. I still feel it's my fault, for suggesting that bloody interview." 

"No, it's not the interview. It's more than that. I feel like I'll never live down that prophecy. That people will only know me as The Boy Who Lived, until I'm old and grey. People put these extraordinary expectations on me, and I simply want to be ordinary. Just a regular wizard, living his life. That's all. I wish Voldemort had never existed, so that my parents could be here. I wish I'd never seen so much death, and horror. Honestly I don't think I will ever get over losing our friends in the war. I see them sometimes, you know." 

"What do you mean, like ghosts?" 

Harry shook his head and sighed. "Just in my head, in my nightmares. I see Dumbledore, and Hagrid, sometimes Seamus and Dean…And I came so close to losing you, and Ron, and Hermione…I never want to feel pain like that again, Gin. I can't."

Ginny frowned. She reached for his hand again, but he pulled back. She felt a sting of surprise, followed by worry. He'd been moody like this right after the end of the war; it had taken months for him to regain some sense of self. There were times when it had been so bad that she'd wondered if he would ever recover.

"But you didn't lose us. We're still here, with you. We love you. Come on. Let's go for a walk," she suggested, and started to get up. 

"Actually love, I'd like to be alone for awhile if that's all right. Do you mind?" 

"Are you sure?"

Harry nodded quietly. "I'm sorry, I'll be along in a bit if you want to go ahead." 

"It's all right," she assured him. "I'm feeling a little tired anyway, I'll just go upstairs and have a lie-in. But you're really all right?"

"I'm fine." He looked at her. "Really."

She didn't believe him, but she didn't argue. As soon as she was upstairs, Ginny didn't lie down. She went to the Floo, and summoned Hermione. 

 

"How far are you on those legal papers?" she asked, when her best friend's head appeared in the fireplace. 

"Not too far, but I've been researching some—"

"Well, stop." 

"What, why?" Hermione looked confused. "What's wrong?"

Ginny sighed, absently stroking her belly as she sat on the edge of the bed. She felt as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders. "Thanks for offering, of course, but it won't be necessary because we're not doing it. So you can stop." 

"Ginny, what on earth is going on?" 

"Nothing, Hermione. Just stop doing the bloody legal papers, all right?" Ginny snapped, then regretted it. She got to her feet and began to pace in a small circle near the fireplace. "I'm sorry. Harry's in that mood again, like he was right after the war. He's shutting down. It happened right out of the blue, he just snapped. All these problems with the Ministry, and the Quidditch League, and the new baby, it's too much." 

"Did Harry say he wanted me to stop?"

"No. But I think it's for the best." 

Hermione frowned, her brow creased with worry. "Where is he now, is he there?"

"No, he's out taking a walk. He said he wanted to be alone. Hermione, I'm really worried. I can't go through this now, not with the baby coming, and the twins…It's too much. Plus I can't bear to see him break down again, it's simply awful." Tears stung the back of Ginny's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had to be strong. 

"So he's simply going to lay down and take this rubbish?" 

"It's not that simple. You know as well as I do, when he's like this he can't be forced into anything. It only makes things worse." 

"So yell at him, Ginny. Bloody hex him if you have to. Make him see reason. You've done it before, in fact you're probably the one who does it best where he's concerned. He never listens to me, and Ron will almost always let him have his way before too long. He hates fighting with him." 

"No! I won't. He's tired of fighting with everyone, and I'm certainly not going to have him fighting with me, too. That's the last thing we, or our family, need." 

"Fine, then he can fight with me. I'll make him listen, because we're not going to let him do this. It's wrong, and he doesn't deserve to be treated this way. Not after all he's done for the wizarding world." 

"Hermione, I said—" 

But Hermione's head had disappeared, and Ginny was left staring into a dwindling fire at a complete loss for what to do.


	20. Hold On, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having cut their trip short, Harry and Ginny return home. Harry begins to show signs of depression, until something happens that forces him to snap out of it.

Unable to sleep, Ginny rose from the bed and put on her robe. Harry lay with his back to her, feigning sleep. After so many years of sharing a bed, Ginny knew when he was faking; his breathing wasn’t regular, and his shoulders were tense. He’d been doing that a lot in the last ten days since their return from Dorset. He'd spent an increasing amount of time sequestered in their bedroom, and when he wasn't there he took off on his broom, often for hours at a time. The twins had started asking where he was, and it broke Ginny’s heart to see the disappointment in their faces when she told them he wasn’t feeling well, or that he was busy with work. 

This was what she had been dreading. In the back of her mind, ever since the first episode had manifested a few weeks after the end of the war, Ginny had wondered what she would do if the depression were to return; the Healers had said that recurrence was not uncommon, and in many instances, a relapse could even be worse than the original episode. Harry had always assured her that the worst was behind them, and over the years it had seemed that he was right. So she gradually stopped worrying. But now, as she sat at the dining room table listening to the rain pattering against the windows with a mug of tea cradled in her hands she wondered what on earth she was going to do. 

Something soft brushed against the side of her leg. Then Bartleby leapt gingerly onto the tabletop, purring loudly. He nuzzled her belly with his cheek, then sat down in front of her on the table and batted at her stomach with his forepaw. He let out a tiny mew, and then tilted his head and looked at Ginny inquiringly with wide yellow eyes. For some strange reason, it seemed to Ginny that he was asking her what was wrong. 

“Everything, Bartleby,” she sighed, and scratched under the kitten's chin. “Everything’s wrong.” A hollow feeling started in her chest. Perhaps the worst part of all was that she'd had no warning; it had come on so suddenly. With Harry, there was always warning, always a sign that something was wrong. She knew his moods, his facial expressions, but not this time. At first he'd been fine; his mood was cheerful and optimistic. They'd made love, and talked about their children. Then almost instantly he was in his own world, painfully sad and cut off from everyone. How was it that she could feel so close to him, and yet still not understand him? 

"Dammit Harry," she cursed under her breath, tasting tears between her lips. She stroked her belly and gazed at Bartleby, as if hoping he could give her advice. But the kitten simply gazed back at her, seemingly just as sad and confused as she was. He patted her belly again with his front paw, and then climbed down into her lap and despite the small space he curled up and went to sleep, and stayed there until Ginny finally went back upstairs to bed. 

Later, she woke with a start. At first she wasn't sure what had happened. She eased herself up into a sitting position, and the first thing she noticed was that Harry wasn't in bed. She put her hand on the exposed bed sheet; it was cold, which meant he'd been up for some time already. Her only companion in the room was Bartleby, who was dozing at the foot of the bed on Harry's side. It was unusual to see him there, since Harry didn't like him sleeping on the bed; she assumed the rain and wind had simply startled him out of his usual sleeping spot in the living room and caused him to seek comfort on the bed since Harry wasn't around to shoo him off. From the looks of it, the rain hadn't let up since last night. She checked the clock. It was almost eight, which meant that the twins would be up and wanting breakfast any minute. Since it was raining, she would keep them home rather than ask mum to take them. She vaguely hoped that Harry hadn't decided to take his broom out in this weather, although she wouldn't be surprised if he had. 

Then she felt a tightening sensation, starting at the small of her back that spread up around her lower abdomen. She held her breath, and waited a beat, then released it. Her hands curled beneath her belly. Bartleby raised his head and looked at her for a moment, stretched, then repositioned himself a little closer to her feet, and went back to sleep. 

After a few minutes had passed and nothing else happened, Ginny slipped out of bed and put on her robe to check on the twins; she made a mental note to mention the contraction episode at her appointment with Helena the following day. Bartleby leaped off the bed and followed her at his own easy pace. 

It was only when she was in the hallway, about to open the door to the twins' room when she heard the heated voices coming from downstairs. Clearly, Harry had put a Muffliato charm on the bedroom so she wouldn't hear the commotion. With a frown, she peeked into the bedroom only to find that the twins were not in bed, either; which meant they were downstairs witnessing whatever tirade was going on. 

"Bollocks," she muttered, annoyed. She headed downstairs with Bartleby close behind. The closer she got to the stairs, the clearer the voices became. One was clearly Harry's, which after days of near-silence had an almost jarring effect on Ginny; the other voice was Hermione’s. 

"I can't believe you did this, Hermione." 

"Harry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to get this far. But I couldn't let you just sit around and not do anything. This is too important!" 

"It's all over the bloody papers now! That's the last thing I need!" 

Ginny reached the foot of the stairs, having gone unnoticed by Harry and Hermione who were standing on opposite ends of the living room, staring each other down. Harry stood by the sofa gripping something in his fist that looked like a newspaper, and Hermione was by the mantle. Her face was beet red, her jaw set tightly. She was dressed in her work robes, while Harry was barefoot and still wearing his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. Hermione's leather satchel was on the table, with folders and parchment spilled out everywhere. Her rain cloak was draped over a chair.

Nearby, James and Sarah were sitting in their high chairs, watching in confusion. Sarah's face was contorted with worry which meant she would start wailing at any moment, and James looked petrified, the way he did after a bad dream. Neither Harry nor Hermione seemed to be paying them any attention. Then the twins saw Ginny, and began to cry. Sarah twisted her body in an attempt to free herself, and James began to kick the front of the chair with his feet, screaming "Mummy!"

"What in bloody he-what is going on?" Ginny demanded, as she went to tend to the fussy babies. 

"Oh Ginny! Let me help you," Hermione rushed over, clearly all too willing to get out of the confrontation with Harry who, Ginny noticed, seemed suddenly surprised by the sight of his children, as if he had forgotten they were there. 

Hermione leaned close to Ginny as she set Sarah down on the floor. "I'm sorry, I know you asked me to stop working on it, and Ron told me it was a bad idea, but I couldn't help myself. I simply hate seeing Harry like this and—"

"Hermione, what happened?" Ginny asked, a bit impatiently. She lifted James from the chair and set him on the floor.

Looking upset, Hermione explained. "I went ahead with the paperwork, and I filed the official grievance with the Quidditch League on Harry's behalf." Her face brightened hopefully. "They want to talk, Ginny. But Harry won't do it. He says he doesn't care about the Quidditch, that he wants to quit. Not just for the season, but forever. He never wants to play again." She cast a worried glance over her shoulder at Harry, who had since sunk into the armchair, looking stony-faced. "I can't talk him out of it."

The weight of this statement settled on Ginny as if a rock had been forced into her chest. She couldn't imagine Harry not playing Quidditch; moreover, she couldn't imagine him not wanting to play. It made no sense. Then she realized something. "How could you file a grievance without his signature?" she asked.

Hermione hesitated, and Ginny knew the answer. "You didn't…" she said. 

"I'm sorry, Ginny. It's just that over the years I've gotten quite good at mimicking Harry's handwriting – you know, having done his homework…well, sometimes," she caught herself. "I know it's wrong, but Harry wouldn't have signed it otherwise." 

Ginny shook her head. "Hermione, if they find out you forged his signature it could get us in even more trouble. What were you thinking?” The walls seemed to be closing in; her back began to hurt, and she felt a tightening in her lower back that circled around to her abdomen. Meanwhile Harry got to his feet and began to pace. He was clenching and unclenching his fists. The framed photos on the mantle rattled, and for an instant Ginny was afraid they would break with the sheer force of Harry's emotions.

"But I did file a complaint with the Daily Prophet about the interview," Hermione continued. She was wringing her hands anxiously, and glanced from Ginny to Harry and back again. "I requested – no, insisted that they print a retraction, or at the very least, make a public apology to both of you." 

"And what happened?" Ginny asked, while Sarah grabbed at her legs wanting to be picked up. She eased herself down into a nearby dining chair and managed to pull Sarah onto her lap. The extra weight sent a sharp pain down her back; she winced. 

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked. 

"I'm fine." 

"Are you sure?" 

"What happened?" Ginny repeated herself. Bartleby leaped onto the table and sat next to her, watching her with a curiously intent expression. 

"They refused, of course. They're standing by the story. In fact, I heard they've promoted Tabitha Hanks because of it. She's going to be their new Features Editor." 

"Bloody hell," Ginny said thickly. Anger was bubbling inside her; she could hardly think straight. Sarah was wriggling around in her lap, trying to pet Bartleby who managed to stay just out of reach of the baby's groping hands while maintaining his position next to her. Frustrated, Sarah began to whine. She kicked Ginny's shin, and simultaneously Ginny felt a pain in her lower back. Despite her daughter’s protests, Ginny put Sarah down on the floor and got to her feet; placing both hands on her lower back she began to apply pressure with her fingers. 

Sarah whined, and held up her hands to be picked up. “Mummy!” she insisted. 

“Not now,” Ginny said, gently but firmly. 

"What is it?" Hermione asked. 

"Nothing. I've been having some—mild contractions.” Ginny began to walk slowly back and forth.

"You should owl the Healer, Ginny." 

“I’m fine, Hermione.”

Bartleby let out a sound that resembled something between a low growl and a meow; almost right away, Ginny doubled over as an excruciating pain struck in her abdomen. It was like a hot knife was cutting through her stomach.

“Mummy!” Sarah cried again in terror, and this time James joined her. Both of them began to cry. 

“Harry!” Hermione screamed, and grabbed Ginny’s arm before she fell. Seconds later Harry scrambled to her side. He put his arm around her shoulders, and he and Hermione helped her to the sofa. Ginny cradled her belly protectively, stroking it, whispering words of reassurance under her breath while hoping, somehow, that her unborn daughter could understand her. 

“Contact the Healer in the Floo, Hermione. Tell her it’s urgent,” Harry said, as he sat down next to Ginny. Hermione got up and went to take care of it. “Ginny, love, what is it? What’s wrong?” Harry's face was creased with worry. Only then did Ginny notice how sunken his cheeks were; there were dark circles under his eyes. She wondered when he had last slept. 

“I don’t know,” she said. Her voice sounded far away. “She’s not moving. Oh my god, Harry, what if she’s--?” 

“She’s not,” Harry said definitively, and for the first time in weeks there were signs of life in his eyes. He held onto her while she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Harry pressed his lips against her head, and held her hands while in the background the twins continued to fuss, and Hermione communicated hurriedly in the Floo to the hovering head of Helena Bartholomew. “She’s going to be all right. I promise.”


	21. Fixing Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a big scare, Harry promises Ginny that things are going to change for them.

Ginny carefully studied Helena Bartholomew's face as the Healer bent over her, waving her wand and murmuring a string of incantations in a low, melodic voice. Small sparks flashed and dissipated in the air; Ginny noted the colors of gold, dark purple, and green. It was hard to tell from Helena's face what these colors meant; the Healer seemed to purposely keep her expression neutral. 

Rather than take Ginny to St. Mungo's, Helena had come to the cottage to perform an examination. They were upstairs in the bedroom, alone with the door closed. Harry had been there at the start of the exam, but before long his hovering and constant questions became distracting and were agitating Ginny, so Helena had politely asked him to leave. He'd obeyed, although Ginny suspected that he was lingering not far away. Every once in awhile she noticed a shadow move in the crack beneath the door. Very faintly she could hear the twins downstairs, and every once in awhile Hermione's raised voice as she tried valiantly to calm them. Before long, there was a 'pop' and Ron's voice joined Hermione's. 

"Are you feeling any more pain?" Helena asked. 

"No, it's gone now. Is the baby all right?" Ginny asked anxiously, returning her attention to the Healer.

"Please relax, Ginny." Helena glanced up at her for a moment. Although her voice was soothing, her tone was also firm. "Your blood pressure is too high; I won't be able to get an accurate reading." 

Bloody hell, how can I relax when my baby might be in danger? Ginny thought angrily, but forced herself to brush it off for the baby's sake. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to focus on something peaceful. It was like picking through thick underbrush; her thoughts were riddled with various stresses of the past few weeks. She peeled them away, frustrated, until she settled on the memory of Harry making love to her at the inn in Dorset; recalling the sensation of his hands exploring her pregnant body, and his mouth tickling her skin brought a relaxing warmth. 

Then tears stung her eyes. She missed that Harry, and she wanted him back. She wanted this whole mess to just disappear so that they could be happy and raise their children in peace…

"The baby is fine." 

Ginny's eyes flew open and she convulsed with relief, half-sobbing and half-laughing. The tears began to roll down her face as if a faucet had been turned on behind her eyes; they simply wouldn't stop. She didn't even bother to wipe them away. 

"Although she is in some very minor distress." 

"Wait. She's in distress? What do you mean, what's the matter? Tell me what's wrong." Ginny started to sit up, and with a flick of her wand Helena eased her back onto the pillows. 

"I'm sorry, Ginny but you have to lie down and stay off your feet. The stomach pains were not due to any kind of premature labor, but your body's reaction to extreme stress. The baby was really never in any immediate danger, although if you had continued to put yourself through this level of anxiety it could have been much worse. Now, I'm going to recommend you stay in bed for the remainder of your pregnancy." In response to Ginny's shocked expression, Helena took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "It's mostly a precaution, but I don't want to take any chances, particularly with your blood pressure. It doesn't seem to have gone down since your last visit, and if it's not monitored carefully it could have adverse effects."

"There's been…there are things going on," Ginny said, her voice low. "It's been very hard." 

"I realize you're dealing with some troubling issues right now, but I can't emphasize enough the need for you to be stress-free, and stay off your feet. There are breathing exercises I can recommend, as well as a calming potion I can prescribe to help you sleep. It won't have any effect on the baby," Helena added before Ginny could ask. "I'll make weekly house visits to check your progress, and of course Floo my office immediately if there are any concerns, no matter how minor they might seem. If I'm not there, my message service will contact me."

"Thank you." Ginny wrapped her arms around her belly, and began to stroke it. She had to fight the urge not to burst into tears while Helena was there, but as soon as the Healer was gone and Harry replaced her a few minutes later, his face riddled with guilt and worry, Ginny let it out. 

"I just want her to be all right," she said, swallowing mouthfuls of tears as Harry held her with his lips pressed against her hair. His hands moved in slow circles across her back. "I can't take this any more, Harry. I just can't." 

"I know, love," he whispered. "You won't have to. I promise." 

"If this had gone on much longer we could have lost her—" 

"But we didn't. And we're not going to." There was a certainty in Harry's voice that she hadn't heard in a long time. "She's safe now." 

Ginny felt his throat move as he swallowed. She looked up and saw his jaw tightly set, and his eyes flashing with near-defiance. When he caught her gaze, he took her face in his hands. "I promise," he said. "Things are going to change starting right now." 

Just then Ron came rushing through the door, his face flushed. "Bloody hell Harry, you said you'd only be a minute." His eyes hurriedly went from Harry to Ginny. "How are you feeling Gin?"

"I'm all right, Ron," Ginny said, her eyes still locked with Harry's. 

Ron exhaled, and his body seemed to deflate. "Bloody hell." Then he came to the bed and bent over Ginny. Taking her hand, he kissed the top of her head. "We're here for you, no matter what you need. Just name it." 

"Thanks." Ginny smiled, even as the tears continued to fall down her face. "How are the twins?"

"By some miracle Hermione's managed to calm them down. She's got both of them and Liam on the couch and she's reading from a book of fairy tales. You remember that book we had, Harry, on the hunt--?"

The first glimmer of a smile crossed Harry's lips. "Yeah, I remember. Did you owl your mum?"

"Yes. She hasn't answered yet, but I'm positive that she'll do it. She'll grab any excuse to spend more time with the kids." 

"Do what?" Ginny asked, looking from her husband to her brother, and then back again. 

Harry shifted in his seat. "Your mum is going to move in until the baby's born, to help with the twins." He looked at her as if expecting her to protest, but she didn't. "We'll use the extra room downstairs for her to sleep in."

"I d'know how dad's going to fend for himself, though," Ron remarked. "He hasn't performed a cooking spell in ages. I guess mum will have to pre-cook some things for him before she leaves…" 

"Hey Ron, could you do me a favor and give us a few minutes? I'd like to talk to Ginny alone."

"Yeah, all right." Ron started for the door and then paused, eyeing them. "Wait, you're not going to…" 

"Honestly, Ron!" Ginny exclaimed. "Besides, I don't think we're going to be doing that for awhile!" 

"What's the matter, don't you trust me with your little sister after all these years?" Harry quipped, with a glance over his shoulder at his best friend.

"Not as far as I can hex you," Ron said good-naturedly. "You're damn lucky I like you, Harry. I'll see you later, Gin." He gave Ginny another kiss. "I'll pass on the news to Hermione. " 

"Thanks. Oh, and can you thank her for helping with the babies, too?"

"Sure."

As soon as the door closed, Harry cleared his throat and took both of Ginny's hands. "I'm sorry for everything," he said. "I've been a ruddy selfish git. This is about more than my pride, it's about our family. When it comes to that, nothing else is more important. So I'm going to that bloody hearing, and I will take care of this business once and for all." 

"What are you going to say?"

"Whatever they want me to say." 

"Harry no, I don’t want you to—"

He silenced her with a long kiss. "If looking out for my family means that I have to pander to the Ministry for a few weeks, then so be it. I can handle that. All you need to think about is you and the baby. No arguments, all right? I mean it." 

"All right, then. No arguments." Ginny smiled, as a sense of calm washed over her. "But as soon as the baby's here—"

"I'll give them hell." Harry grinned. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and kissed her forehead.

"Good." 

"Now is there anything you need before your mum gets here?" 

"Right now, just you." She touched his face and looked deeply into his eyes, which looked wonderfully alive after so many weeks of fog. "I've missed you." 

"I've missed me too," he answered quietly. He touched his mouth to her chin, and then her lower lip, which he teased with the tip of his tongue. She parted her lips and he deepened the kiss, gathering her as close to him as possible. To Ginny it felt like heaven having him so close to her again; his kiss was electric. His hands gently stroked her body and came to rest on either side of her swollen belly. The baby rustled, sending waves of calming warmth into her limbs.

"I love you, and I’m so sorry," he breathed. "I won't go away again, I promise." 

"If you do, I'll bloody kill you," she murmured, as his lips fell to her neck. She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. His hands moved up to her breasts, and she felt his need for her hard against her thigh. She wanted it so much, and it took all her willpower to move his hands away. "We can't, Harry." 

"Actually, we can. Sex is very relaxing," he murmured into her neck. "As long as we're slow and careful, everything will be fine."

"But I can't—"

"This is all about you, Gin. I'm going to take care of you. Don't worry about me." His fingers slipped between her legs, and Ginny felt a tingle of anticipation.

"Oh hell," she sighed, and a smile flickered across her face. Her throat vibrated as Harry laughed. 

Then, quite suddenly there was a loud "pop" just outside the door that sent Harry literally jumping off the bed. He'd barely gotten his footing when Molly Weasley rushed through the door in a burst of maternal energy. "Ginny, dear! Oh my goodness. Don't worry, I'm here now, and I'll take care of everything…" 

"Mum!" Ginny couldn't disguise her surprise as her mother leaned over her and kissed her head. 

"How are you feeling?" 

"I'm fine. Thanks for coming, mum." Ginny cast a glance in Harry's direction; although he looked momentarily disappointed, he threw her a very sexy smile and mouthed the word "Later." She grinned. 

"Um, I'll just go take your bags to the guest room, Mrs. Weasley," Harry mumbled. 

"Thank you, Harry dear." Molly smiled at him, then sat down on the edge of the bed and focused all her attention on Ginny, who was quite suddenly overcome with emotion at the sight of her mother sitting in front of her. It had the combined effect of opening the floodgates of every insecurity and fear she had ever had, and the knowledge that everything would be okay once her mother was there with her. Nothing could hurt her now.

"I've never been so scared," she said, the moment they were alone. Her eyes welled with tears. 

"Well what matters is that the baby is all right, and you are all right." Molly stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. 

"Of course, it's just—well, it wasn't just that…"

"What do you mean, dear?" 

"I thought I was losing Harry, mum. He was slipping away from me, and I didn't know if I'd ever get him back." The tears welled up fresh in her eyes, only this time they didn't fall. "He was like a ghost of himself." 

Her mother squeezed her hands reassuringly. "Ginny, there are so few things in life that we can really count on. But Harry is one of those things. He would never, ever leave you and the children, in any way shape or form. He loves you far too much. In fact sometimes it worries me just how much he loves you…" 

"Mum, you don't know—the depression was completely taking over. He barely looked at the twins, he never talked to me…it was like his heart had been completely torn from his body." 

"Look at me. Everything is fine now, you're going to be all right. Harry will never leave you. " Molly gazed deeply into her daughter's eyes, and spoke in a firm but gentle voice. "Never, Ginny." 

Ginny smiled. "Never," she said.


	22. Educating Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A restless Ginny adjusts to being confined to bed, and Hermione comes up with a great idea.

Slowly but surely, Ginny was going stir crazy. She had always hated being confined in any way, and she had little patience for getting sick. In her mind there was too much to be done to be sitting around and waiting while life passed by. For the first two days of bed rest she actually enjoyed being in bed and having her mum and Harry take care of things. The twins were entertained, and the house was managed with the utmost efficiency, so Ginny had to do nothing but relax. She caught up on her correspondence with the members of N.A.P.S., which she promised to restart once the baby was born; she wrote to Eloise Midgen in Scotland; and she read Quidditch Weekly's special "Women in Sports" issue from cover to cover, which was something she rarely had time to do. Hermione stopped over on her lunch hour on the first day, bringing more magazines and a couple of books for her to read that were now stacked on the bedside table. 

But on the morning of the third day of bed rest, Ginny opened her eyes and for the first time, the thought of spending an entire day restricted to her bedroom was considerably less appealing than before. She heard James and Sarah, babbling and giggling with her mum and Harry downstairs, and she wanted to be there with them, taking part in their day. Mum brought them in to visit her, of course, typically right before and after their naps, and to say goodnight, but it was never enough. She felt so disconnected – her body literally ached to be mobile and active. 

Her one constant companion was Bartleby, who refused to leave the bedroom. During the day he slept on the bed at her feet, and when Harry came to bed at night, he slept in a chair next to Ginny's side of the bed. Harry had given up on trying to make the cat leave, since the first time he tried, he'd gotten a nice scratch on his arm for his trouble. Bartleby was sitting at the foot of the bed watching Ginny, and when she opened her eyes he stretched, and then came over to nuzzle his head against her hand. 

Not much later Harry came in, levitating a tray of food in front of him. He smiled when he saw she was awake, and cleared the magazines from the bedside table to set down the tray. "Feeling all right?" he asked, as he did every morning. There were still dark circles under his eyes, but they were slowly fading. He looked considerably more rested and content. 

"Fine. A little bored, actually." 

"How's our girl?" he asked. He put his hand on her belly and stroked it as he leaned over to kiss Ginny. His mouth was soft and warm, and his breath smelled of coffee. 

"She's wonderful. She hasn't given me a spot of trouble." Ginny smiled. 

"I'm glad to hear it." 

Ginny smiled, and then patted the space next to her. "Stay with me for awhile, keep me company." 

"I've got all day, I'll stay as long as you want." Harry's hand stayed on her belly, stroking it in small circles. Bartleby moved to the foot of the bed, and nestled against her ankles.

"How are the twins? I heard them talking downstairs." 

"They're fantastic, although they miss their mum." He picked up her right hand with his free hand, and their fingers intertwined. "I've told them that you have to stay in bed to take care of the new baby but it's only for a little while. Your mum's going to take them to the Burrow this morning, to look in on your dad." 

"It feels like it's been forever already." Ginny sighed. "I feel so selfish. I know this is for the good of the baby, but I can't stand being cooped up." 

Harry silenced her, molding his mouth to hers for a long, slow kiss. "It's only been three days," he said with a small smile, when their lips parted. "I thought you'd like being waited on." 

"Just how long have we been married, exactly?" Ginny teased, raising an eyebrow. Harry chuckled. "I did like it, at first. But now I want to do something. I want to feel useful." 

"You are being useful. You're preparing our child for the world, and you're doing a right good job of it, too." 

"You know what I mean. Tell me what's been happening with the Quidditch League."

"Ginny, love, we talked about this. Helena said no stress. I'm handling it, and I don't want you to worry." 

"So you won't even talk about it with me? Harry, come on, this is nonsense. I'm not going to argue with you, and I'm not going to tell you what to do, I only want to know how it's going. I feel so bloody cut-off from the world right now."

"All right," Harry said, remaining calm. He stroked her hand while he talked. "Hermione's going with me on Friday. She's established herself as my unofficial manager, and she's drawn up notes on everything we're going to bring up."

"Sounds about right. Perhaps she should be a contracts lawyer, she may have missed her calling."

"We're focusing on the basics. I'll state my case, and maintain that my dismissal is unfair because my personal issues have nothing to do with my ability to contribute to the team. Hermione suggested that we also bring up the revenue I've brought in for the team, with increased ticket sales and merchandising." Harry frowned. "I don't like playing that card, but I can see her point in bringing up arguments that play into the League's interests."

"Good, I agree with her. You are worth it, you know. Even if you don't always believe it." 

Harry smile faintly, and continued, "I'm going to argue that I should at the very least be allowed to stay on the team roster, and also be allowed to negotiate with other teams if the Cannons choose to release me from my contract. I'd rather not leave the Cannons, of course, since I can't picture myself on any other team. But I'd do what I could to keep playing."

Ginny pursed her lips at the thought; it made her furious to think of his talent being wasted. But she pushed it aside. "So if they rule against you, what then?"

"Well I'm sure Hermione will try and talk me into another appeal, but I'm going to let it stand. For now," he added quickly, when he saw her sit up about to protest. "Remember we talked about this. Once the baby is here, and everything's settled, right before the new season starts up again I'll file for reinstatement. But I'm not causing you any more undue stress, it's not worth the risk." 

"You're not giving up on this, Harry. I won't let you."

Harry smiled, tucking a lock of hair back over her ear. "I wouldn't think of giving up. Now, how about some breakfast?" He levitated the tray and set it down in front of her, the legs unfolded to provide a makeshift table. "Don’t worry, your mum made it," he quipped.

"Thanks, that looks delicious," Ginny said, and tucked into the plate of fruit, toast, and eggs.

A few minutes later, Molly Weasley appeared in the doorway. Her shawl was draped around her shoulders, and she was wearing mittens. "I'm off to the Burrow for a bit, with the twins. Do you need anything before I go?"

"Just kiss them for me, all right?" Ginny asked. 

"Of course I will, dear." 

"Thanks, Molly," Harry added. 

"Not at all, dear. We should be back around noon, although I might stop in and visit Aunt Muriel. So maybe we'll be home by two o'clock. But no later than that, since I don't want the twins to miss their afternoon nap. 'Bye loves." She waved, and then disappeared again. 

"So we've got at least four hours to ourselves, maybe more. What should we do?" Harry kissed Ginny's ear. "Since you have to stay in bed, I say we should make good use of that. We haven't had a chance to pick up where we left off the last time."

"Sounds wonderful." 

"Fantastic. Now finish your breakfast, and then I'll take care of you." 

"Forget breakfast. Take care of me now," she purred. 

"Are you sure you're not—?"

"Now, Potter." She gave Bartleby a not-so-subtle nudge with her ankle and the cat, seeming to understand what was happening, leapt off the bed without complaint and strolled out of the room. 

"Your wish is my command." With a flick of Harry's wrist, the door closed and locked. Then the tray lifted off Ginny's lap and landed safely on the bedside table. Outside a light rain began to fall against the windows as he looked into her eyes, holding her attention while his hand went under the covers and her nightgown and slowly stroked her inner thigh, easing its way up. 

Ginny groaned in anticipation. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Not this morning, but you know I enjoy hearing it." Harry smiled, his eyes never leaving her face. Meanwhile his hand continued to move up. 

Her hand progressed up his arm, over his shoulder and she cupped his cheek, stroking his face with her thumb. "Well I do love you, and I'm also extremely proud of you. You're a wonderful husband, a fantastic father, a brilliant Quidditch player, and—oh blimey…" 

Harry smiled as his fingers slipped onto the mound between her legs. She was wet and throbbing with expectation. Her breasts began to ache, and she moved her other hand across her chest while her hips slowly gravitated toward Harry's fingers. 

"How's this?" Harry tucked two fingers inside her, swirling his thumb over her clit. Her entire body was bathed in warmth; she barely heard his voice. 

"More," she moaned. "Much more." 

He leaned over her, teasing her lips with his tongue. She opened her mouth. "Merlin, you smell so good," he murmured. 

"I haven't bathed in two days." 

"I don't care, you always smell good. Pregnancy agrees with you." 

"You agree with me." She felt his erection against her leg, and immediately her nipples hardened. His fingers continued to swirl around inside her while his thumb massaged her clit, easing her toward climax. His lips brushed over her chin and down her throat. 

"How's the baby, you're not having any pain are you?"

"No, we're both fine. Absolutely fine." A smile spread across Ginny's lips, and she settled back against the pillows and closed her eyes. After she climaxed, he climbed into bed with her and they fell asleep together.

* * *

On Thursday evening, Hermione came over to talk strategy with Harry for Friday's hearing. Then she stopped in to visit Ginny, while Harry and Mrs. Weasley finished putting the twins to bed. 

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine, although I'm bored out of my mind. How's everything going with the hearing, do you think you're ready?"

"I think Harry's got a very strong case, at the very least the Quidditch League should take notice. It really is inexcusable what they're doing to him, punishing him for looking out for his own family's well-being. And the idea that him standing up for Squibs should interfere with his job is completely ridiculous…" She looked around the room, her eyes lingering on the window where the rain was falling. Then she snapped to attention again. "But I do have something else to talk to you about. It has to do with N.A.P.S. – well, in a roundabout way - if you're interested. I wanted to run it by you first, and then perhaps you could mention it to Harry, to see what he thinks, and then we could draft a letter to the other N.A.P.S members."

"Sure, what is it?" Eager for any news relating to N.A.P.S, Ginny straightened against the pillows. 

"As I've been working on Harry's case, I've also been thinking a lot about Liam's future, and of course Sarah's and James's. They have nothing to worry about in terms of getting the magical education they need, since the path is already set for them at Hogwarts. But that started me thinking about Gwendolyn…" she patted Ginny's belly, "…and how there are no educational guidelines for Squibs. They have no special schools to attend other than regular Muggle schools. Since Squibs aren't entirely magical they wouldn't fit in at a place like Hogwarts. But they also aren't completely without magic blood – thus a Muggle school isn't really the right fit either. Squib children would feel isolated there, since there are so few of them when compared to the Muggle population. I'm surprised that I hadn't thought of this before, but now that someone I love is being directly affected by it, I'd say that it deserves some attention. So I had the idea that perhaps we could start planning a special education program just for Squib children. We could set the groundwork by including the other members of N.A.P.S. to help us come up with ideas. It will certainly take some time – considering the Ministry's maddeningly narrow-minded stance on Squib relations – and of course a good deal of money, but I'd say it's worth the effort." 

Ginny squeezed Hermione's hand. "That's a brilliant idea, Hermione. I love it. I can't believe—" her eyes welled up, and she was filled with enormous gratitude for her sister-in-law, "—actually I can believe you'd do something like this, but in addition to all your help with Harry, it's more than we could ever ask for. We appreciate it so much." 

Hermione beamed. "Of course, Ginny. You're more than just my friend; you're my family. I'd do anything for you and Harry. Gwendolyn and all other Squibs deserve the same quality of life that we have, and it makes me so bloody mad that people out there in positions of power are sweeping them under the rug like they don't matter."

"This little girl is so lucky to have you for her aunt," Ginny said. "In fact, I want to do something for you right now."

"Really, that's not necessary." 

"I want to name her after you. Gwendolyn Hermione Potter. What do you think?"

Hermione's cheeks flushed, and her eyes welled with tears. "But I thought you were naming her after your mum," she said, with a sniff.

"I think mum would agree that you really deserve this, too." Ginny smiled. "So...?"

"Oh Ginny! I think it's wonderful!" Hermione threw herself at Ginny, nestling her bushy hair in the pillow next to her while her arms came around her waist. "You don't have to, and of course if Harry doesn't like it—" 

"I really don't think he'll object, Hermione." Ginny smiled. "You're his best friend." 

"What's going on?" 

Ginny looked over Hermione's shoulder to see a bewildered Harry standing in the doorway. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Harry, close the door." When he did, she went on. "What would you say to the idea that we name the baby after Hermione, instead of my mum?" 

"I'd say that's a great idea. But why the change?"

Ginny explained to him about Hermione's idea for the new education system for Squibs, while Hermione quickly dried her tears and blew her nose. "Just think about all the doors this will open up for her," she finished. "It'll give her the best of both worlds. She can learn about the wizard world, while learning how to adapt and survive in the Muggle world. And she can be with other Squib children." 

Harry turned wide eyes to Hermione. "You thought of this?"

"Well, yes...what do you think?"

"I think it's probably the best idea you've ever had." Harry grinned. 

"Now that's definitely saying something," Ginny remarked, and Hermione beamed.

"You really think so?" she said.

"Of course, it's fantastic! You're amazing," Harry said. "Do you really think you can do it?"

"Harry, remember who you're talking to here." Ginny squeezed Hermione's shoulders. "If she can't do it, then no one can."

Hermione blushed crimson, but looked chuffed nonetheless.

"Well it's brilliant. Count me in, anything you need," Harry said.

"Good, because I was going to ask if you'd mind throwing a little weight behind the idea, once we get it off the ground? I hate to ask because I know you doesn't like using your celebrity, but I think it would be really beneficial to the cause." 

"Weight, money, whatever you need Hermione, it's yours." 

"Thanks, Harry!"

"When do you want to get started?" Ginny asked.

"How about this weekend? I'll bring Liam on Saturday and he can play with Sarah and James while we work. I'm sure Ron wouldn't mind catching up with Harry, as well."

"Yeah, I'd like that," Harry put in. "We haven't had a lot of down time lately."

"Sounds great!" Ginny said. "I can't wait."

"Perhaps we'll even have something to celebrate," Hermione added with a hopeful smile as she looked from Ginny to Harry, and back. 

"Maybe we will." Ginny's eyes locked with Harry's. He smiled, and she knew right then that no matter what happened at the hearing the next day, everything was going to work out fine.


	23. Celebrating Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Potters have plenty to celebrate. As it turns out, so do the Weasleys. [Or should I say Granger-Weasleys. ;)]

"Come home as soon as you can get away. Please don't panic, it's not an emergency. I just want to see you alone. Don't tell anyone you're here, including mum. I think the baby's coming soon. ~Gin."

Ginny scribbled these words on a piece of parchment, which she rolled up and attached to Hedwig's foot, then told the owl to find Harry. Understanding the significance of the letter, Hedwig ruffled her feathers, gave Ginny a reassuring hoot, and took off into the sky. Ginny watched from her bed, hands comfortably cradling her belly, and she smiled. 

It was almost time. She'd been having very slight but regular contractions for the last four hours since Harry had left for practice. She wasn't panicked, she knew the baby's birth wasn't imminent, but it wouldn't be more than a few hours before they would need to move to the hospital and before she told anyone else, she wanted to see Harry. Once they'd had time to talk, she would send an owl to Helena to let her know they were coming.

Even before the contractions started, she'd been feeling different over the last few days. It wasn't on a physical level, but something inside her told her intrinsically that her life was about to change. She'd known that it meant the baby was on her way. It had been difficult to conceal this knowledge from her mum, since Molly was well attuned to her daughter's moods and of course knew well the signs of impending birth. But so far Ginny had managed to throw her mum off the scent by keeping her plenty occupied with the twins. She'd also decided not to say anything to Harry about her suspicions until she was positive the time was close; he was rejuvenated now that he was back playing Quidditch with the Cannons, and she didn't want to take him away from it until absolutely necessary.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry appeared in the bedroom looking breathless and excited. Clearly he'd come straight from practice without bothering to change; he was still wearing his practice uniform, along with the gloves, and knee and elbow pads. Even though she never told him this, when he was in his uniform he reminded her of a pumpkin. 

"I told you it's not an emergency," Ginny remarked, with amusement. "You didn't leave practice early, I hope." 

"We were almost done anyway. I didn't want to waste any time," Harry said. He stowed his broom against the wall, and peeled off his boots. "So are you sure she's coming?"

Ginny nodded, and tears beaded in her eyes. "I'd say we'll be meeting her in a few hours. Can you believe it?" 

"Are you feeling all right, do you need anything?" 

She held up her arms for him. "Right now, just you. So take off those pads and sit here with me for awhile, okay?" 

"I'll do you one better." Harry banished his pads, sweater, and gloves to the closet and climbed onto the bed next to her. He put one hand on the crest of her stomach while the other played lightly in her hair. 

"That's definitely better," she smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the nearness of him. He still smelled of grass, wood, and perspiration, but she didn't care. She loved how their bodies fit together perfectly, as if they'd been made specifically for each other. 

She felt a tightening sensation in her lower back that spread across her abdomen. She held her breath for a moment until it passed; then came the wonderful popcorn-like sensation of the baby moving inside her, settling low. "She wants to come out," she said. 

Harry looked up hopefully. "Now?"

"It's all right, relax, it'll be a little while. But I can tell she's getting ready." 

"Are you ready, love?" 

She sighed, absently stroking her stomach. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." 

"We're going to be fine." 

"I know." She looked up at him, and then curled her hand around the back of his head to pull him down toward her. She kissed his forehead, his nose, and then finally, his lips. "How was practice?" she asked, stroking his fringe. 

"Fantastic." Harry beamed, his entire face alight with enthusiasm. "I think we're more than ready for Puddlemere. What?" he said, noticing the smile on her face. 

"Nothing, it's just good to see you so happy." 

"How could I not be happy, I have everything I could ever want." He kissed her, and gazed into her eyes. "Speaking of which, where are our brilliant and beautiful babies?" 

"They're downstairs with mum. Why?"

"Nothing, I just miss them." 

"You know what? So do I. I haven't seen them since this morning. Go get them, and let's have some family time before we have to go to hospital." 

Harry grinned. "You're really up for it?"

"I'm up for anything. Now hurry up and get our babies." She winked. 

* * * 

"Oh Ginny! Love, is it true, you're sure?" Molly bustled in excitedly behind Harry, toting James on her hip. 

Ginny smiled and nodded, holding out her arms for Harry to hand her Sarah. "It'll be a few hours yet, but it's safe to say that she'll be here by tonight. I just wanted to spend a little time with the babies before we leave."

Sarah went willingly to her, with a happy and excited smile on her face as her father gently handed her to her mother. Her already thick red hair was held out of her eyes with two butterfly clips, and she wore a multi-colored jumper that Molly had made. 

"Baby!" she announced with delight, her hands planted firmly on Ginny's belly. 

"That's right, love. It's a baby," Harry said, as he and Ginny shared a quiet look. 

"Mum—meee!" James bellowed, and despite Molly's best efforts to set him down carefully on the bed, he wiggled out of her arms and fell right on his face with a resounding thump and a bounce.

"Oh!" Molly gasped, but James was completely nonplussed as always and simply laughed because all eyes were on him and he was the center of attention. His black hair was wild with static, sticking out everywhere, and his green eyes were flashing with mischief.

"That's my boy, playing to his audience," Harry remarked. 

"Like father, like son," Ginny said, with a wink. "Quite the little ham." 

"You know if you weren't pregnant I'd get you for that one." 

"Saved by the belly." Ginny grinned, as Sarah lost her footing and tumbled down next to her, smelling like soap and crayons. 

A second later, they were also joined by Ron and Hermione, who Apparated in. Both of them looked excited. Ron was holding Liam, who squirmed down from his arms as soon as he saw James. "We just heard the news!" Hermione declared. 

"It's hardly worth everyone coming over here," Ginny put in. "We've been through this before."

"Well, we've got some news of our own as well," Ron announced proudly, helping James climb off the bed to play with Liam, while Harry sat down near Ginny's feet and began to massage her swollen ankles. 

"Ron! We were going to wait until later, this is supposed to be about Harry and Ginny," Hermione said, but her cheeks flushed. 

"You'd better spill it," Harry put in, with a laugh. "Ron's about to explode anyway. Come on then – you're not pregnant again are you?" he teased.

There was an awkward silence during which Ron and Hermione looked at each other, and then Ron grinned wickedly while Hermione giggled. Molly gasped with delight.

"No way, really?" Harry exclaimed. 

"That's fantastic!" Ginny beamed, as Sarah snuggled in beside her, her fingers in her mouth. Ginny's fingers absently played through her daughter's hair, while her other hand slowly stroked her belly.

"We just found out this morning," Hermione said. "It was completely unexpected. I was only there for my regular check-up. I'd just finished telling Ron the news when we got the message from mum about you and the baby." 

"Well, we couldn't be happier," Ginny said. Harry nodded in agreement.

"I'm hoping for a girl, so we'll have one of each. If it is a girl, I've already decided that I'd like to call her Molly Gin—" 

Then quite suddenly, Molly burst into tears. Hermione looked startled. "I'm sorry!" she declared abruptly. 

"Mum, what is it?" Ginny started to sit up, but was restrained by Harry's gentle touch on the base of her belly. 

"Are you all right, mum?" Ron put a hand on her shoulder. 

"Nothing, of course it's nothing! Oh, this is silly of me." Molly reached into her dress pocket and pulled out her handkerchief, dabbing her eyes. "Pay me no mind, really. It's just that I'm so…I'm so happy. Our family is growing by leaps and bounds! So many grandchildren! My goodness, that reminds me, I forgot to owl your father!" With that, she bustled out of the room. 

"It's quite a family we've got here, isn't it?" Harry put in. 

"That it is," Ginny added, and they all smiled.

* * *

Ten Years Later

 

Ginny clapped her hands together to get the attention of her children, who were all gathered around the dining table finishing breakfast. "All right, let's hurry up and finish your breakfast. We have to leave to meet the train in a half-hour." 

"Almost done!" Sarah announced with a gleam in her eye. "I can't wait to go to Hogwarts!"

"Me too!" James put in, with a grin. Only red-haired, green-eyed Gwendolyn remained quiet, slowly kicking the leg of her chair as she dipped her spoon in and out of her cereal. Beneath her chair, Bartleby was curled in a ball, her almost-constant companion. His tail swished patiently back and forth. 

"All right, love?" Ginny asked, as the twins cleared their bowls and left the table. 

"I'd like to go on the train, too," she said hopefully. 

"Well you, sweetheart, are coming with me and dad in our new car after we drop off your brother and sister. That will be fun, too." She ran her fingers through Gwen's thick hair, held back from her face with a headband. "We can go to your school together, and your dad and I will show you to your new classroom, and your new instructor. Her name is Penny, and I'm sure you'll like her very much. I met her when we went to pick up your schedule last week."

Gwen gave her a little smile, followed by a light sigh. "I wish I could go to the Hogwarts school, with Sarah and James," she said. 

Ginny felt a twinge in her chest, and fought to keep the tears from stinging her eyes. "I know, love. But this school is special, as well," she said. "It's still very new and you're only the third class of students to start there. Your dad helped design and build it, too! Isn't that something?" 

Gwen smiled vaguely. "Yes, but it isn't in a castle, though. And they can bring pets." She indicated her siblings, who were deep in discussion about which house they were likely to be sorted into while gathering the last of their baggage. "Plus they get to have Houses, and uniforms…"

"Yes, however, while they will be living there in the dormitories, and only coming home for the holidays, you will be coming home to me and your dad every afternoon, and Bartleby will be right here waiting for you. Plus, your Aunt Hermione will be at school with you. She's the Headmistress, remember? So if you're worried about anything, you can talk to her anytime you want."

"I'm going to miss them. It'll be lonesome."

"You'll have Bartleby, of course. And your dad and I will be here, too. We'll have lots of fun together. Plus, since your cousin Molly isn't off to school yet, she'll be around to play with. And I'm sure you'll make plenty of new friends at school." At last count, just over one hundred students were enrolled in the school, which ran on a seven year schedule similar to Hogwarts. It wasn't much, but it was certainly a start. Word of mouth was steadily growing. 

"I s'pose so." Gwen didn't seem too convinced. 

Ginny smiled, and put her arm around her daughter's shoulders, kissing her cheek. She leaned close and whispered in her ear. "Want to know a secret? I haven't told anyone yet, not even your dad." 

"Okay." 

"I'm having a baby." 

"Really?" Gwen's eyes lit up. "When?"

"In about seven months. It will be here even before your brother and sister finish their first year, so you'll probably be the first to meet him or her. How do you like that?"

"I like it a lot!" She giggled. 

"I thought you might. But don't tell anyone yet, all right?"

"I won't, I promise." Gwen mimed locking her mouth shut with a key and putting it in her pocket.

"Good girl. Now, how about you run upstairs and finish getting ready? And look in on your brother and sister, see if they're about ready too. They seem to have disappeared and we need to go soon." 

"Okay. Hi Dad!" Gwen looked up and smiled at her father, who had just appeared at the foot of the stairs. 

"Hello, love," Harry said, rustling his daughter's hair as she hurried past him with Bartleby trailing behind her at his own leisurely pace. Harry glanced over his shoulder and watched Gwen until she disappeared upstairs, then he turned back to Ginny and smiled. 

Ginny's heart gave a little flutter as he put his arms around her, and gave her a kiss. "I was just about to come up and get you," she said, with a smile. "We're almost ready to go." 

"So you told her about the baby?" he murmured, as his hands drifted over to her stomach. 

"I thought it would make her feel special. But don't tell her you know. I wanted her to be the 'first' one."

"That was very sweet of you." 

"Well, she was asking about Hogwarts, and why she couldn't go with Sarah and James…she didn't seem all that excited about the squib school. I thought she could do with some cheering up." 

"She seemed pretty happy." Harry smiled, and lightly kissed her, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "If she only knew just how many people came together for her to make that school possible. It's really her school." 

"She'll find out soon enough. It might even be good for you to tell her yourself, when you think she's ready for it. She's an amazing little girl, though, isn't she?" 

"That she is, love. And I'm one lucky man to have her in my life." 

"Luck has nothing to do with it, Potter," Ginny said, and smiled. 

 

The End


End file.
